Come Home Perry
by Laura and Amber
Summary: When Doofenshmirtz finally takes over the Tri-State Area, Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Buford and Baljeet must face the Canadian Rockies to bring Perry and Pinky back home! ...Trust me, it'll all make sense in the end. Contains Phinabella, BufordxBrigitte and PerryxOC Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

TONIGHT! IT ALL HAPPENS TONIGHT! BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA! XDDD Alright everyone! So this is the first chapter of "Come Home Perry"! X3 Amber and I have been working hard on making this sound good so we really hope you all enjoy it and please, PLEASE! Leave reviews of your opinions. Please! ^^

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"Candace?", little 3 year-old Phineas began as he carefully opened the door to his sister's bedroom.

8 year-old Candace looked up from her homework and looked over at her brother. She smiled a bit and sat down the pencil to give more attention as she turned around in the seat in front of her dresser.

"Yeah, Phineas?", she said, allowing him to come in.

"Um... What was Daddy like?", Phineas began, obviously a little hesitant.

Candace looked a bit puzzled by this question. Phineas hadn't asked anything about their dad before. In fact, he hadn't even known their dad. But Candace smiled a bit more as she entertained the thought of the man and she looked curiously up at the ceiling for a moment, as if trying to find the right words.

"Daddy was... Very funny.", she started with a giggle. "He loved to build things."

"Like houses?"

"No. No... More like... Like metal arms that would help you get dressed for school.", Candace said, earning a giggle from her brother.

"That sounds silly!", Phineas said.

"Yes. Yes it does.", Candace said with a nod. "Daddy used to love building them though. ...Until they blew up."

Phineas laughed a bit more and walked over to half-hug his sister.

"What else can you tell me?", he asked.

"Daddy loved us very much.", Candace said, a soft and gentle tone in her voice that trembled slightly, giving the understanding of her missing him. "...All of us. He always knew how to make me laugh."

"...And me?"

"...Daddy left before you could remember him...", Candace said, her voice growing more and more sorrowful.

After a moment's pause, Phineas looked up at her and asked in that childish, innocent voice, "Why did Daddy leave?"

"...I don't really know.", Candace said, not daring herself to look back as she tried to blink back the tears. "The last time I saw him... He... He said he had work he needed to do... He said he wanted to make Mommy very happy."

"...And he didn't come back?", Phineas asked, leaning his head onto his sister's shoulder.

"...No.", Candace said, finally looking back at her brother. After a moment, looking into those dark blue eyes that resembled so much of the man that Candace loved and missed terribly, she mustered a smile, that soon became genuine before she brushed past some of Phineas' hair and went on. "But he promised he'll come back. ...And he always kept his promises to me."

Phineas was only quiet as he looked up at her and listened, not sure of why his sister had tears in her eyes. He laid his head back onto her shoulder and thought it over carefully.

"...Candace?", Phineas began again.

"Yes?"

"...Can people come back from the dead?"

Candace was confused at hearing this. Why was he suddenly asking such a revolting question?

"No!", she said with a definite tone in her voice. "Why on earth would you ask something like that?"

"Well..", Phineas began, stepping back enough to look back at her. "YOU said Daddy was coming back. But MOMMY just told me Daddy was dead!"

Candace only stared, wide eyed and fearfully at her little brother. Was it true? That their dad was DEAD?

"Phineas...", Candace began, trying to keep calm so as not to alarm him. "What do you mean Mommy told you Daddy was dead?"

"Well...", Phineas began. "I was wanting to draw a picture of our family at the fun place Mommy takes me to before she goes to work. But then Mrs. Garcia asked me where my daddy was in the picture. So I asked Mommy about Daddy, and she said that Daddy died in a construction accident."

"A CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT?!", Candace exclaimed, unable to hide her shock now.

"That's right.", Phineas nodded, not knowing what all he was saying or the affect of his words. "A construction accident. Down town."

Candace only stared at her brother. It couldn't be true! Their dad? DEAD? Phineas was left to stare and watch in confusion as Candace tore out of the room and down the hall in a burst of tears with a deafening cry.

"MMOOOOOOOMM!"

_**7 years later...**_

"MMOOOOOOOMM!", Candace cried as she barged into the living room.

Linda sighed as she closed her book, "Your Schizophrenic Child and You". She turned as her fifteen year-old daughter marched into the room.

"Phineas and Ferb are making something SO bustable in the park!", Candace informed. "You've got to see it! NOW!"

"And what, dare I ask, is it this time?", Linda asked. "Normally, you tell me SOMETHING of what it's like. Huge? Dusty? Or are you just going to settle with dangerous?"

"No! I can't tell you! If I tell you, it might disappear!", Candace said, grabbing her mother's arm and trying to drag her out of the living room. "Come on! Come on! Come on!"

"Candace.", Linda began, pulling her arm back. "Does it ever come across your mind that you MAY be seeing things that aren't there?"

"YES. It's crossed my mind.", Candace said, rolling her eyes before picking up Linda's book. "You're NOT the only one who's reading this!"

"Then, do you think this is perhaps, NOT REAL?", Linda asked. "Just a figment of your over-active imagination?"

"But it IS real! I felt it myself! I was forced to be a part of it!", Candace said. "Mom! Does it ever come across YOUR mind that MAYBE I'm right?"

"YES. And every time I DO, I'm in the disappointment of finding out all of it wasn't in existence.", Linda said.

"Well why don't you ever try to believe in me?", Candace asked, not in a means of mad but in slight desperation. "...Dad would."

"Well of course Lawrence would.", Linda said with a shrug before picking her book up again. "He loves you very-"

"NO. DAD-Dad.", Candace said, her scowl returning.

Linda whipped her head around at this, her own scowl on her face.

"Candace Gertrude Flynn.", Linda began, standing up and looking down at her daughter. "I made it perfectly clear, to NEVER mention THAT man, in THIS house! LAWRENCE is your dad and no other!"

Candace was easily intimidated by this sudden change of attitude, but she's received it before. She sighed, her face in stern defeat.

"...Yes Mom.", she repeated obediently as she's done before, casting her eyes to the ground.

"Good. I'm glad we've re-established that.", Linda said before sitting back down. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'M going to read the rest of my book. Why don't YOU go enjoy the rest of your date with Jeremy?"

"...Yeah Mom.", Candace said, walking out of the house.

She walked out the door and Candace stopped as soon as she closed it behind her.

"...Dad would've believed me...", she said quietly to herself.

'Don't fool yourself, Candace.', her thoughts reminded her. 'No one ever does, really. If you could tell Dad about Phineas... Even he'll think you're crazy.'

Candace sighed and began walking back down the sidewalk. Back to her date with Jeremy. Back to TRYING to have a relaxing day. Back to shoving every hope she ever has about busting her brothers into the darkest corners of her mind.

Meanwhile, in the park, Phineas stopped in their daily projects to look around a bit.

"Hey, wait a minute you guys.", Phineas said. "Where's Perry?"

Perry was really sliding down a number of tubes into his secret hideout under the Flynn-Fletcher's backyard. He popped out into his chair and readjusted his fedora a bit. Soon Monogram's face appeared on the screen.

"Good afternoon, Agent P.", the major began in a very routine voice. "The evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz is up to NOTHING today. We need you to find out what he's plotting, and put a stop to it!"

Perry blinked a bit. Nothing? Heinz was doing NOTHING? With a scowl, Perry crossed his arms across his chest. Major Monogram was trying to make this sound as if he implanted a bomb into a subway station, though it didn't mask his words. But Perry didn't care if there WAS a bomb or not. If Doof was doing NOTHING, he was taking a day off. Which means PERRY should have the day off. Not run over there like a spastic girlfriend JUST to make sure he knew EVERYTHING Doofenshmirtz was doing! He HAD a family he loved. He HAD a few things in mind he'd LIKE to get around too. But every time he comes close, all of a sudden, some stupid mission like this one is brought up and he has to drop everything and run over to Doof's place. And it's not to say that Perry didn't like Doofenshmirtz, but when it really was nothing, Perry could think of things MUCH better to do.

Of course though, Perry didn't say a word of this to Monogram. He simply sat there, these thoughts already portrayed on his face.

"...Look we got an email from him. He said he was doing something REALLY evil. But our cameras have been showing nothing! He's just been sitting around on his couch!", Francis admitted, obviously as embarrassed as Perry was angry. "I don't know what's going on! Maybe it's a fake! I have NO clue. I'm sorry Agent P, but you gotta AT LEAST see if he's ACTUALLY gonna do anything evil. And even if it's not entirely evil, your job description already states, you gotta at least stop him from doing SOMETHING. I'm sorry. I know. You wanna spend time with your family. I really am sorry. But you gotta go over there."

Perry only heaved a sigh, having heard this all before. He knew his job description inside and out and even in Rune. Francis' little pep-talk isn't gonna change anything and that ESPECIALLY included his attitude as he saluted his boss and left to the hover car.

_Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorperateeed!_

Perry came up into the room, not bothering with crashing through a window when he saw Heinz sitting on his couch, staring at the ceiling while he twiddled his thumbs. The man heard the door open and looked down to smile as he saw his nemesis.

"Oh! There you are, Perry the Platypus!", Doof said, a wide smile on his face. "Come. Sit. Don't feel like such a stranger."

He patted to a cushion next to him on the couch. Perry shrugged and walked over to sit down, wondering when a trap would spring. Surprisingly, no trap. Perry sat on the couch and actually found himself being able to relax into it while Doofenshmirtz continued sitting there, watching the platypus settle into his seat.

"So! you're probably wondering what it is I'm planning today, sitting around and not doing anything?", Heinz asked, leaning onto the arm of the couch casually. "Welp! I'll go ahead and tell ya! My plan for taking over the entire Tri-State Area is...to do NOTHING!"

Perry raised an eyebrow, waiting to hear the back story.

"...I'm serious.", Heinz said, not seeing the reaction he wanted. "I know. I know. It sounds kinda crazy. BUT. You know how before, I thought the reason why I failed was because it was called an 'inator' or because YOU'RE always getting in my way or something? Right. You remember. The Noninator, my multiple destroying inators to get rid of you. Jerry the Platypus. PENNY the Platypus. By the way, how is she?"

Perry gave a small shrug and a smile. Granted, Penny was still mad at him for willing to sacrifice the Tri-State Area instead of stopping Doofenshmirtz like he said he normally would, but he still loved her and she still hated him and she hadn't received any bad injuries yet or anything. If Perry recalled correctly, she was supposed to be expecting an adoption today.

Heinz seemed satisfied with a shrug and went on saying, "Well I've come to realize something. Now, call me crazy or a dumkoph, or even desperate. I don't care. But I've figured that if I built NOTHING, then there will be NOTHING for you to destroy. There will be NO fight. No triumph for you. Not even a trap or a back story! Well... Actually.. Suppose I already gave you a back story with going back over previous inventions, but either way. If we DON'T fight because there's NOTHING to fight over, then you WON'T win and on that technicality, I'LL win! See?"

Perry folded his arms across his chest with a skeptical look on his face.

"What? What, you DOUBT me?", Heinz asked. "You DARE to doubt my ingenious plot?!"

Perry offered a silent scoff with a nod. What was to be expected?

"You know, I find your lack of faith disturbing, Perry the Platypus!", the mad scientist snorted indignantly.

Perry simply rolled his eyes. In truth, he wasn't entirely sure if he did believe the scientist. It wasn't logical. To do NOTHING in order to earn SOMETHING, wasn't that the very sort of idea that was corrupting the country already? Well unless Heinz is jumping on that ban wagon on PURPOSE, Perry really only thought his nemesis was getting desperate and was waiting to hear that the evil scientist was in a slump.

But Heinz didn't say it. In fact, Doofenshmirtz seemed very assured that his plan would work. So Perry simply shrugged and nestled himself more into the couch, deciding to take it easy. In the thoughts of doing nothing in order to earn something, Perry had to admit, it was actually pretty evil of himself to let Owca continue to pay him what they did just to be around Doof like this.

The only hard part of Doof's plan, as the man continued to internally struggle with, was that he was promising to NOT build anything. No inators. No noninators. Nothing that Perry could blow up. But the itch, the urge, the overwhelming desire to make something complex was nagging him more and more. Like the sting from a terrible sunburn. He began to tap his foot in the air a bit, the internal itch getting worse and worse. He knew if he wasn't gonna do something to stop this, it was gonna ruin his plans. He couldn't help himself. It was like instinct. All he needed was a substitute. Something that is not involved with the Tri-State Area.

"THAT'S IT!", he suddenly shouted as he jumped to his feet.

Perry felt his heart leap into the throat at the sudden shout. It was so quiet in the room, he had almost dozed off! But now he was watching as Heinz zipped across the room, lab coat billowing behind him like a cape. Perry wandered after when the man was out of sight but was soon almost ran over as Heinz came back into the room with three cardboard boxes, stacked in his arms from biggest on bottom to smallest on top.

"YES!", he sniggered like a kid getting away with sneaking a video game to school. "Yes! I'm SOO glad I didn't throw this stuff away!"

Doofenshmirtz walked back to the couch and Perry soon flipped himself over the arm and back into his seat. He watched as Doofenshmirtz sat down and looked between the boxes curiously. He lifted one and then the other two he balanced in his hand as he turned attention between them both, as if trying to determine either which is heavier or which he wanted to use. They were very old boxes as Perry determined by the bents and tufts of cardboard and old packing tape that stuck to their sides. But Doof then made his decision, sat two on the floor beside him and the other on the coffee table. Eyes wide with excitement, the man quickly opened the box and dug around inside. He pulled out a bunch of brightly painted, colorful plastic sticks and small, shiny, metal balls. Some sticks were curved, some were straight, and a couple of them formed something like an oval without so much of a point as just another curve with small indentations into the side.

'Magnetix?', Perry questioned. 'What's so special about these?'

Heinz quickly sat to work, setting aside the more flexible or only curved ones and sorting out the straight and more stiff sticks and two rings. He quickly caught a metal ball before it rolled off the table and sat it carefully in his lap with the others.

"Now...", Heinz began, looking a bit confused at the pieces. "How did she do it...?"

His voice was very quiet, his demeanor, suddenly very different. Like he wasn't fully there. Or more like the world wasn't fully around him. He fashioned together a small square from the sticks and paused a moment, looking over his work.

"...No. No no.. Cause... Well..", he muttered.

Perry wondered briefly if Heinz often did this when he was scheming something. He had helped the man get supplies for his invention once, but otherwise, he hadn't entirely been around to actually SEE what all Doof did when he planned things. Either way, it was interesting to hear him speak so quietly. So intent and focused on what he was working on.

"...That's right!", Doofenshmirtz said with a nod as he understood his flaw. "It's supposed to be bigger than this."

He added another stick to each side of the square, connecting each stick with a ball between them. He then took the two ovals and managed to fit them together, using the indentations in the sides to hold them steadfast. After doing so, he sat the empty sphere aside and took four more sticks. One for each marble in the middle of the side of the square. After settling that up, he took two marbles, put one on two sticks on the side, and then carefully sat his circles up between the marbles. Perry raised a curious eyebrow as Heinz readjusted one of the free sticks and soon tapped the wheel down and caused it to spin by the force of the magnets' repel on the sides of the circle facing it.

Satisfied with his work, Doof sat back into the couch to watch them spin away while Perry only watched. It was interesting to see the thing spin as if by its own will, though he didn't entirely see the point of this. He looked back at his nemesis and chattered curiously.

"Hm? You're wondering why I have this?", Heinz asked, earning a nod. "Well it was...Vanessa's."

His casual and dorky smile suddenly disappeared for a moment as he stopped in his sentence before mentioning his daughter. And in that small span of time, Perry wasn't sure if he saw right, but it almost seemed like Heinz glanced down fearfully at him for the moment.

"Yeah. Vanessa's. When she was really little.", Doof continued before staring at the object, once again, as if the world around him disappeared. "She.. She was really good at these things. Loved them."

Perry watched him in slight confusion. Vanessa? Enjoying Magnetix? The platypus wasn't entirely convinced, but he wasn't sure he could get Heinz to admit the truth.

Heinz sighed momentarily, almost sorrowfully, before tapping the couch and moving on with projects. He reached down, pulled out another box, the largest one of the three, and reached inside. He pulled out several plastic pieces. Some with an opening in the end, some weaving back and forth, one with a little propeller in the middle of it, a large funnel, and one with a small round base and a door-shaped hold in the center tubing.

A marble track.

Heinz quickly began working, fitting pieces together and making it look complex. He picked up the marble from the bottom of the box and sat it at the top. Perry watched while the marble traveled across the tracks, through the patterns, across the propeller, and soon landing on the bottom. Heinz chuckled some watching this, happy with what he's done. He reached into the other box, the middle-sized one, and pulled out Tinker Toys.

Perry rolled his eyes at the sight of this. Were these Vanessa's toys or HIS toys? The platypus honestly couldn't tell and it was almost embarrassing that his adult, nemesis was insisting on playing with kiddie toys. But then again, as all of Owca knew and Perry reminded himself, Heinz Doofenshmirtz was the world's oldest kid. Immature in every way.

While Doof contended himself to start working with the tinker toys, Perry stared at everything else. He didn't wanna spend his day like this. He wanted to get home to his REAL inventors. And then an idea came to mind as Perry raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

He grabbed the marble from the bottom of the track, sat it back up at the top and once he let go of it, he took a piece of track off and turned it around.

"Perry the Platypus, what are you doing?", Doofenshmirtz asked curiously, seeing the agent "play" with the toys.

The marble went down its track, out the hole of the piece Perry had turned, hit one of the sticks of Heinz's magnetix structure, causing the magnet to flip in the air, as the marble rolled onto the floor, landing in the opposite direction, causing the wheel in the middle to draw to it, dislocating itself from the rest of the structure and causing one of the metal balls to go flying up and crash right into the the Tinker Toy tower Heinz was working on, destroying it thoroughly and leaving it in pieces once again.

"AH!", Doofenshmirtz shouted as he ducked to miss the ball.

Once he saw the damage Perry did and the proud smile on his face for it, Doofenshmirtz stood up slowly, looking around at it all, finally resting his sight on the remains of the magnetix. Perry was finally done for the day. He destroyed what Doofenshmirtz built, and was actually happy to see it turn out the way he planned. But what happened next, Perry wasn't fully expecting.

"_**L-LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!**_", Heinz shouted down at Perry, his face turning a bright shade of red from his anger.

Perry flinched, surprised at how angry the man was getting.

"_**WHAT ON EARTH DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!**_", Doof continued, though the platypus was speechless. "_**IT WASN'T EVEN AN INATOR YOU STUPID PLATYPUS!**_"

Perry blinked, his eyes wide with shock. No curse? STUPID? HIM? What got into his nemesis? It was only a bunch of toddler toys!

"WELL I HOPE YOUR HAPPY WITH YOURSELF!", Heinz continued, his anger still burning. "Go on! BEAT IT! You destroyed it!"

Perry was too much in shock. He could barely think a thought, let alone move. But the more he sat there, the angrier Heinz only got.

"I. _SAID._ **_BEAT IT!_**", he said, picking up the platypus and tossing him to the door. "Go on! Leave me alone already! Curse-you-Perry-the-Platypus, let's be done with that. GO!"

Perry was still dazed but finally gathered enough will power to catch himself as he fell and stand up. He gingerly left Doofenshmirtz, still unsure of what all gotten into him.

Heinz panted a bit, his breath lost from shouting. He felt his face cool off as he looked back at the magnetix. He lied to Perry. The set wasn't Vanessa's and they weren't entirely his either. What these simple toys were to him, meant a lot more than Perry could ever know.

And so, trying to calm himself back down, Heinz walked back over, and picked the pieces back up. He stopped to stare at his small reflection in one of the metal balls of the magnetix and sighed, tears daring to fall from his eyes.

"...Curse you, Perry the Platypus...", he whispered quietly.

By the time Perry had returned to his owners and they finished up the day's project, Heinz was stepping out of the elevator of the DEI. Before pursuing more of memory lane, he was actually pretty thirsty. Earlier that week, a brand new soda machine was installed into the first floor of the building. New soda, new machine, new company, even going with a sweepstakes just to help sell it off. Vanessa said she enjoyed it and Doof had only decided NOW to try it out He looked at it curiously as he came up to. It didn't look very special. There was only ONE kind of soda! But he didn't wanna argue the matter, even to himself, and simply inserted his dollar bill. Before he could press a button the soda came out.

***Thunk!***

A bit surprised by the quick service, Heinz picked it up and headed back to the apartment. By the time he reached his apartment again, he had already drank half the bottle. He sat on the couch, pondering what else he could do while he tried to do nothing.

Doofenshmirtz wasn't entirely sure how long he sat there. Half an hour, perhaps, when he noticed he was thumbing the bottle cap. For the silly sake of curiosity with this sweepstakes, he looked under the cap and felt his heart leap into his throat as he read it.

"YOU WON!"


	2. Chapter 2

"You really mean it?!", Irving asked excitedly to Phineas and Ferb. "You're finally willing to accept my invitation to a sleepover?!"

"Yeah sure! It'll be loads of fun!", Phineas said brightly. "It'll be the best sleepover ever!"

Perry was walking into the backyard with the boys after Linda offered lunch to everyone, when he noticed his watch was beeping. While everyone was busy, he slipped away to another side of the house where he brought up his fedora and turned his watch on.

"OH! AGENT P! Thank goodness! It's terrible!", Major Monogram began, panic in his face. "I-I can't believe it's actually happened! Doofenshmirtz did it! He took over the _ENTIRE, TRI-STATE AREA!_"

Perry's heart stopped. At least for a second before it began to pound hard and fast in his chest. _He did it?_ **_BY DOING NOTHING?!_**

"He's already raided City Hall and is putting the members of Lovemuffin as his staff! You gotta go stop him before he does any real damage!"

Perry instantly saluted his boss and headed off at once. It was still hard to believe. Doofenshmirtz? The ruler of the Tri-State Area! Perry only hoped he would still be too much of a dumkoph to do anything serious.

"B-B-But I don't understand!", Roger stuttered as Heinz continued to push him out of City Hall. "Heinz! I-I'm-I'm your brother!"

With a final shove, Roger was off his older brother and nearly toppled down the steps of City Hall.

"Cain and Abel were brothers. Be glad I'm not gonna do the same thing!", Heinz threatened, a wide smile plastered onto his face.

Just then, Robert Bloodpudding came up while carrying a clipboard and pen, also smiling, before he said, "No, go ahead Heinz! It'll certainly make ME happy!"

"Nah.", Heinz said, shaking his head. "Come on. I'm not THAT evil."

Robert shrugged and said, "Neither am I, but I'd certainly like to see it happen just the same."

Heinz shrugged and they walked back inside. Not long after they had reached Doof's office, did Perry come crashing through one of the windows, ready to defend his city.

"Ah.. Perry the Platypus!", Doofenshmirtz said, his voice dripping with evil delight. "How unexpected... I thought you ran back home and abandoned your mission!"

Perry's scowl only deepened before he launched an attack at his nemesis. But then Doof dodged him and Perry went sliding across the floor and into the wall.

"Perry the Platypus, fighting isn't gonna solve anything!", Heinz said. "I WON! I already won! Don't you see that?!"

Perry rubbed his head and chattered angrily at Doof.

"Yes, I did TOO win! I won a sweepstakes and the grand prize was the entire Tri-State Area!", Doof explained, earning a bewildered look from the platypus. "It was on a soda bottle that I LEGALLY bought and LEGALLY won! I... WON! You can't stop me now! It's legitimate! It's legal! _I've won!_"

His nemesis was obviously happy about this turn of events, but Perry could barely stand to believe it as he got to his feet and tried to attack Doof again. He was stopped this time by Bloodpudding as the man reached out and snatched him by his tail.

"Ah-ah-ah! You can't attack a political figure!", he said, grinning almost as widely as Heinz was.

Perry struggled in his grasp till he remembered Camillia the Puli's warning against his arm length. Perry groaned as he hung there, his face growing red from not only blood rush but also platypus instinct because of where his hands were.

"Wow, Heinz. You're right.", Robert said in astonishment. "Perry the Platypus' fur IS soft!"

"I know, right? Like, how could something THAT soft hurt so badly?", Heinz scoffed. "But now to address the first order of business. Pay attention Perry the Platypus."

Robert then dropped the platypus and Perry quickly turned in midair to land safely on his feet as he followed Heinz to the big red chair behind his desk.

"To become permanent ruler, of the entire TRI-STATE AREA!", Heinz cackled in his delight.

"ACTUALLY...", Bloodpudding interjected. "Your first order of business was to spin around in your new office chair."

"Oh... Well have I done that?", Heinz asked.

"Nope."

"Alrighty then..", Heinz began, twisting his body with his hands on the desk before forcefully shoving himself and spinning himself around in the chair. "WHEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Perry rolled his eyes and shook his head. Again. The world's oldest kid. Age 47 and still acts like a five year old.

"Ooh.. Okay..", Doof said, holding his stomach as he stopped the spinning. "Alright. Enough of that. SECOND order of business! You know. Life-long ruler."

"Right.", Robert nodded as he wrote it down on his clipboard.

"And then, of course, the third order of business...", Heinz began, standing up to loom over the platypus at the other side of his desk.

Bloodpudding could already tell what the man was thinking a wide smile crept over his face and he said, "Yeah...? Say it!"

"To ban...", Heinz said, slowly dragging out the agony as even Perry could tell what he was saying. "..the ENTIRE..."

"OH GOOD GOSH MAN! SAY IT ALREADY!", Rob said, unable to keep his enthusiasm.

"ORGANIZATION WITHOUT A COOL ACRONYM!", Doofenshmirtz finally declared.

The ban not only brought Perry to his knees in agony, but an excited cheer from his secretary and a few more cheers down the hall from other Lovemuffin members who happened to over hear.

"WHOO! I LOVED saying that!", Heinz went on, excited like a schoolboy. "This is the _BEST. DAY._ **_EVER!_**"

"So should I go ahead and order the arrest?", Robert asked.

"No no. We'll give them a few days to pack up and head out.", Heinz said. "Who would want a bunch of CRIMINALS escaping from jail by numerous secret-agent like means, when you can just throw them out of the city?"

"Well...", Robert shrugged. "You're the boss!"

"Yeah. So, let's give you.. Oh say. Four days to move out, Perry the Platypus.", Doof said casually. "That should give you time to tell Major Monogram, pack up your things, and get the heck outta here!"

"Whoo!", Bloodpudding cheered. "No more animal fur stuck to our black clothes!"

"YES!", Doof agreed. "No more horrible odors, CLINGING to every piece of furniture and cloth that we have!"

"OH goodness- YES!", Robert groaned in relief. "And no more rabies shots!"

"Or having to run to the bathroom for the anti-toxins!"

"No more bruises."

"Broken windows."

"Explosions."

"Scratches and bites."

"Broken down doors."

"Animal shaped holes in EVERYTHING!"

"Dirt and mud tracked all through the house!"

"NO MORE PERRY THE PLATYPUS!", Heinz cackled.

"No more Camillia the Puli!", Robert cackled as well.

Perry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He just couldn't. He refused and lunged at Doofenshmirtz to prove so. He may be condemned for murder, but he wasn't about to allow his nemesis to get away with anything!

But the platypus was only trying in vain before Norm caught him and threw him out of City Hall himself. Perry caught himself on the stairs and flipped his way to landing on his tail and skirting as he hit the sidewalk near a very depressed Roger Doofenshmirtz.

"...Oh.. There you are, Perry.", Roger noted, sounding very melancholic.

"Krrrrr.", Perry chattered, tipping his hat to his nemesis' brother before getting up and dusting himself off.

Roger heaved a sigh and wondered aloud, "Why did he do this to me? I-I mean what have I ever done to him?"

"HA!", Heinz scoffed behind them both. "Schnitzel, PLEASE! Don't get me started!"

With nothing left to do, no logical turn around to this disastrous situation, Perry slowly began to head to Owca's headquarters and turn in the report. His enemy's laughter still ringing in his ears.

Perry had barely noticed the time that had passed until Pinky sat down beside him with other agents in the auditorium of Owca's headquarters.

_"'Aye-yi-yi.'"_, Pinky began, finally pulling Perry out of his depression a bit. _"'Whatever it is the majors wanna talk about, they better hurry or else Isabella's gonna be scared senselessly.'"_

_"'Whatcha mean?'"_, Perry asked.

_"'Amigo, it's 7 o'clock. The kids should be heading to bed by now with us. Not wondering where we are at last minute.'"_, Pinky informed.

_"'Oh. Oohhh.. Gosh, is it really that late?'"_, Perry asked, rubbing his eyes and forehead. _"'No wonder I'm exauhsted. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in days...'"_

_"'You and me both.'"_, Pinky agreed.

Finally Major Monogram approached the middle of the stage and the agents settled down. Perry sighed silently to himself. He dreaded to hear this speech, already figuring out what choice of action Monogram would go with. They would have to remain underground. Building up a strong enough resistance to go into a small warfare against Doofenshmirtz. Flashbacks to the second dimension were forced to be shoved out of his mind as the major cleared his throat and began.

"Now.. As you may have already heard, the Tri-State Area is, indeed, taken over by a member of the League Of Villainous Evildoers Maniacally United For Frightening Investments-in Naughtiness, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.", Monogram began, making Perry slide in his seat some as eyes were turned to him briefly. "Now, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, from what our sources can tell us, has succeeded in his take over LEGALLY from a sweepstakes that was part of a new brand of soda pop."

_"'Who on earth is that stupid?!'"_, Pinky growled along with a few other agents.

"Please, settle down now, everyone.", Monogram requested. "As most can already guess, we're hereby banned from the Tri-State Area. We have four days to leave no trace of Owca's existence. Since that's been established, those of you from our other branches of the O.W.C.A. are probably wondering what you're doing, also being called to this meeting..."

_"'Yeah, what's up with that?!'"_, Peter called out from somewhere behind Perry. _"'I'm missin' a good cuppa joe for this!'"_

Then Major Monogram produced a small envelope and held it high for others to hopefully see before he began, "This is a letter from the organization of Biologically Advanced Creatures Opposing Ne'erdowells in Canada. They have requested us specifically to collaborate the organizations in Canada in an attempt to stop all possible evils in that region of the world. We've had this letter for three weeks, as our majors would know, debating about whether or not we're to take part in this. If we do, and things work out, this will help revolutionize other secret organizations in every nation of the world, promising them that the good fight that we all know and love of good vs. evil, will not be in vain."

Some of the agents, though unknown to the humans, were really jeering and shouting back contradictions to the Major, despite how pleased they seemed. Perry, who was very loyal to the home and family that he grew up with and was very deeply ingrained to actually enjoy his work most of the time, kept quiet to silently agree with the major and still keep the respect of his fellow agents. But them Major Monogram's face became very solemn. He was almost grimacing, even after the cries from the animals. Perry began to worry some. He couldn't remember a time Francis had looked so serious. So...depressed was it?

"...Agents... Interns... Majors... I'm afraid the situation is even more dire than the Tri-State Area. Because an idiot like Dr. Doofenshmirtz has been able to taken over the Tri-State Area and ban our branch of Owca..", Francis continued to say, unaware that Perry felt himself DIE at the word "idiot" and go to heck at "taken over". The platypus wasn't sure how much more of this speech he could take. "There's a possibility that other evildoers in other states of America, could possibly do the same. To prevent our organization from becoming a refuge for fugitives from the 'law' of evil people, we're having to relocate the entire Organization Without a Cool Acronym."

The outcry from everyone, less important majors, interns, and agents all alike, could not be ignored, language aside. The room was drowned in angry and distressed shouts. Not only from agents and people who had families, but even the ones that were waiting for adoption or didn't normally care about a host-family. Everyone was in an uproar and it took some trying to get things settled.

"I know! I know! we're all very upset about this!", Francis begged, pleaded, for them to listen. "But as you all very well know, our organization simply CAN NOT take any risks! We are NOT to be labeled as the enemy by any means! We have to do this. Our head-team has already agreed that we shall unite with this other organization. For those of you agents with host families, you will have to convince your previous owners that you have either ran away from home or, for some... died."

The explosion in the room was very surprising indeed. Everyone, everywhere, angry shouting. Cursing. Swearing. Pleas for another option. Some for death. One agent even managed to throw their chair at Major Monogram and luckily missed him. But no one. Nothing, was more abrupt, full of hatred, and surprising to EVERYONE including himself, than what Perry did.


	3. Chapter 3

Perry was sitting on his chair in the middle his hideout under the Flynn-Fletcher's backyard. His head hung in shame as he sat there. He was embarrassed, he was scared, he could barely believe what he actually just did. And after doing so, running out of the room in full fear wasn't hard as all the agents quickly backed up from him and gave him clear access to the door.

'I'm a freak... An outcast...', Perry chanted in his head like a curse. 'I'm a nonanimal...'

"Nonanimal" is a term often used by and only amongst, the agents of Owca. It was a label against any animal that was scientifically created by humans. For the longest time, Agent Clarissa the Chicken and her lineage, were the only nonanimals in the organization. Then Owca began experimenting with other animals. Animals that wouldn't die in half a year or so because of their undercover lives. Some animals have miscarried these creatures. Only one managed to succeed. Peter the Panda. But unfortunately, whatever it was that the majors and scientists have done, had only resulted in the exact opposite of the affect of which they wanted. Instead, Peter was less bright than Clarissa. Slower in thoughts. It was harder for him to train. The most of what he was capable of doing on short notice of any threatening situation, was to almost literally throw his weight around and fight. Then came Perry.

Perry was genetically engineered. He was a nonanimal. And he had been ashamed of it from the moment he was told. He was the make-up for Peter's mistake, according to Major Monogram when he sat down to talk to him about this at 3 months old, and his role in the organization, along with Clarissa, was to teach the other animals, especially the younger or more wild ones, how to be the best agent they could. Perry had always known at that point that he wasn't like the others. He was smarter, faster, stronger, and he understood humans easier and even to the date, had to explain to some agents what the majors required of them.

But what was fearful of all of this was when Pinky had explained to him the term "nonanimal" and how when Peter blurted out to the others of his origin, everyone turned against him. Hated him. Despised him all because he wasn't natural like they were. He was a freak. He was weird. He wasn't normal. And so was Perry.

Peter was the only other animal that somehow knew of Perry being a nonanimal. And now the whole organization knew it without a doubt. Perry shuddered as he remembered his actions.

"_**I AM NOT GOING TO LEAVE MY FAMILY YOU IDIOT!**_", Perry shouted, SCREAMED, at the top of his lungs from the top of his chair, his fur bristled, his teeth bared, his entire body shook with nothing more than pure rage.

As soon as the words had left his mouth, all eyes were turned on him and even Monogram was astonished by this exclamation. It was only a second too late that Perry realized what he had done and ran away.

Human. Human speech. No animal, minus any that mindlessly repeat what they hear as a call, has ever spoken human. Perry did. Perry had taught himself how when he was a pup and has had many years of being around talkative people to keep it fresh in his memory. But he never told anyone he could. Never. No one. Not even Pinky. Not even Karl. Not even the Monograms.

Perry was near to tears now by what he's done. Not even just the fact that now the only animals he could 100% be himself around now completely hated him, but also the understanding of that he yelled at Francis Monogram. Not only his boss, but whom the platypus always looked to as a father. Yes, he was a rather strict father when the platypus was younger and not very easily pleased but it was just how Perry looked at him and over the years, it had become easier to keep him satisfied as long as he turned in with a good day's work.

***Shhh...***

The door to his hideout opened and Perry could already tell who it was by his electrode-reception. Yet another trait in him that has been jimmy-rigged to be more sensitive than a normal platypus'. Pinky's shaking and quivering body wasn't hard to detect.

_"'Amigo, I wanna be left alone right now.'"_, Perry said sadly.

_"'Why?'"_, Pinky asked, a little more indignant than Perry was expecting. _"'So you can continue to sulk and think the world's against you? Perry, I'm here for you bro.'"_

_"'You're only saying it out of pity.'"_, Perry said, turning away from him. _"'I'm a freak. Admit it.'"_

_"'...Alright. You're a freak. And I'm a living earthquake.'"_, Pinky said, his ears pinning back as his temper increased. _"'Perry, don't pull a Peter on me. I'm not as shallow at the rest of Owca. I'm still you're best friend, and you're still mine.'"_

Perry gave a small smile. He had to hand it to the dog, he was very devotional. And possibly the smartest one of the organization aside from Perry and Clarissa's family.

_"'Can I ask you something?'"_, Pinky began after a short silence.

_"'Sure. What?'"_

_"'You think you can teach me to speak, amigo?'"_, Pinky asked, his tail wagging in hope of the idea.

Perry straightened up in his seat a bit more at this request. Him? Teaching another animal to speak?

_"'Um... I... I'm actually not sure..'"_, he said, starting to ponder over it.

_"'Well.. I mean, you learned it.'"_, Pinky shrugged. _"'Maybe you can help pass on a few tips?'"_

Perry thought it over a bit before smiling at Pinky. It was a promise.

The next few days were heck to pay for. Phineas and Ferb were, of course, instantly concerned as they heard their platypus cough when he returned into their lives. The parents promised to take Perry to the vet as soon as possible. But when they did, the vet couldn't be of much help. When Perry wasn't busy packing up his cubicle, he was laying in his pet bed at home while the boys worked on their projects and often paused to check on him. He would lay there, forcing himself to be unresponsive when the boys tried to stir some of his attention. He held down the shiver that caused his tail to flick when they scratched his neck. He made no sound when they said, "Oh there you are Perry" or offered him food. Nothing more than the occasional cough and a few sneezes.

As for Doofenshmirtz, Perry hadn't seen him. No agent saw their nemesis. And a good deal of them didn't see their host families either despite Pinky's whines and whimpers to see Isabella one last time. And when agents were done with their personal things, they helped the humans move bigger things, furniture, weaponry, supplies and the like, to the back of the trucks that, as Francis had explained to them, some would carry the stuff and most the agents were to ride in the back of, pretending to be cargo when the human members crossed border lines.

As Perry worked on his cubicle, Pinky was the only visitor he had. His other friends in Owca avoided him now. They often made excuses to avoid him to make it less obvious, but it was known just the same. They didn't make eye-contact, they didn't say "hi", they didn't even dare themselves to brush across the platypus while walking down the corridors. Penny, however, made it CLEAR she didn't want to be with Perry. She immediately retraced her path the moment she saw Perry on the other end of the aisle. She kept to the far side of the break room or the elevator that Perry happened to walk into and left as soon as she got the chance. And the one time she happened to NOT notice Perry and instead walked right into him, Perry could see her face turn more green before she whipped herself around and ran the other way, bringing a hand to her bill while doing so. And the worst part was that Perry wasn't even trying to be in contact with anyone. He knew this would happen. And so he just sighed when it did and tried to move on.

On day three, while Perry was packing up the last of his belongings, an unexpected visitor came by. Perry looked up to find Peter leaning against the doorway to his cubicle. Perry took a glance at the panda and then continued in his work.

_"'...Did you lose your way?'"_, Perry started off casually.

_"'No.'"_, Peter shrugged while he watched the platypus work. _"'...Was coming down here to say that I told ya so but decided against it.'"_

_"'So what brings you here?'"_, Perry asked.

_"'Need a reason?'"_

_"'It would be the logical understanding of my sworn enemy being here, now wouldn't it?'"_

_"'Guess I'm not that logical.'"_

_"'Guess you're right for once.'"_

_"'Welp, what else is new?'"_, Peter shrugged.

Perry continued to work, finding the conversation at a close and Peter simply stood there watching him.

Maybe it was cause he hadn't fought with Doofenshmirtz lately. Maybe it was because he felt like a failure for not stopping his nemesis. Maybe it was the stress of dieing or the lack of acceptance from other agents. Maybe it was just because Perry hated Peter that much and always had. Whatever it was, Perry felt his temper rising as he kept glancing back at Peter, watching him stand there and causally sip his coffee. It was a horrible, burning feeling in the bottom of his stomach. Searing through his nervous system and growing by the minute. Like a horrible itch that gets worse and worse, waiting to be scratched, DEMANDING attention from you despite how forceful you shove it to the back of your mind. Instinct, building up, daring to take over your logic. Perry could feel his body shaking as he tried to keep his composure. It was almost unbearable. And the more he looked at Peter, the worse it got!

_"'JUST SAY IT ALREADY!'"_, Perry finally shouted at the panda, unable to resist any longer.

_"'...Say what?'"_, Peter asked casually, not bothering to look at the platypus.

_"'Say it! Go ahead! You were right, I was wrong! I failed! I'm a horrible agent! I'm no better than you are! Say it! I DARE you! MAKE my day!'"_, Perry growled, his entire body flushing in a surge of rage.

The panda looked up from his coffee to Perry, gave a shrug and took a final swallow before tossing the cup in a nearby trash bin.

_"'I already told you, I wasn't gonna bother.'"_, Peter said.

_"'No! Go ahead! I know you're thinking it!'"_, Perry hissed.

_"'On the contrary.. (See? I can use big words too.) I was thinking about your host family.'"_, he corrected.

_"'Don't you DARE call them a HOST family!'"_, Perry raged, quickly approaching Peter and jabbing an accusing finger into the panda.

"Well then why don't you do something about it?", Peter retorted in English, his temper also starting to rise.

This caused the platypus to freeze dead in his tracks. It wasn't that he wasn't willing to put up a fight, but that Peter reminded him of what was really under his skin and that it would be pointless to take out his stress of being a nonanimal on a fellow agent and nonanimal.

"I wasn't going to say it."

"...Why did you in the first place?", Perry said, his defeat visibly showing. "Why did you scare me when I was just a pup and say I'd blow my cover?"

"Cause I wanted you miserable.", Peter shrugged, uncaring for his past actions. "I was jealous that you were getting all the attention. I knew you would find a family. That you would be well loved and deeply respected around this atrocious organization."

"The O.W.C.A. is NOT atrocious!", Perry growled again.

"If it's not atrocious, what do you call it when your bosses never give you a break and tear you away from the people you love while your co-workers hate you?", Peter retorted, his eyes narrowing, DARING his enemy to find a retort. "...I'm not that stupid. I'm just slower than you are."

Perry was caught in a corner and he silently admitted his defeat as he took a step back from the panda.

"...I'm sorry.", Perry said quietly, keeping his eyes to the floor.

"Sorry for getting you this worked up.", Peter replied, earning a small glance. He managed to crack a smile and continued more relaxed. "But hey. Had I not scared you silly all those years ago by saying you'll lose your family and your secrets will be blown, you wouldn't have earned your reputation, right?"

Perry heaved a sigh and gave a nod. Peter was really on his game that day. The only flaw to everything he's been saying, was that Perry had now ultimately destroyed that reputation by blowing his biggest secret. Heaven forbid his undercover secret would be blown to Doofenshmirtz.

Doofenshmirtz... The platypus hadn't thought much of him lately. He wondered momentarily as he and Peter grabbed his last boxes and headed to the trucks, if Doof was going to miss him?

The platypus would be heart broken to hear that as of the moment, Doof's mind was anywhere BUT with the platypus. And it was making him more and more frantic. He stalked the halls of City Hall, trying to keep himself preoccupied with business, but the ever faithful best friend Robert Bloodpudding was about to shatter that hope.

"Um.. Heinz?", Rob began, while he trailed behind the dictator. "I was just thinking.. Well.. You've taken over the entire Tri-State Area now..."

"Uh.. Yeah?", Doof said, beginning to worry about what Bloodpudding was leading onto.

"Well...", Robert scratched the back of his head uneasily. "Didn't you.. You know? Have OTHER reasons for this take-over?"

"RODNEY WHY ARE YOU STILL WORKING ON THAT FLOOR?!", Heinz barked in sheer panic.

It was obvious to his colleague that he was looking for excuses again as Doofenshmirtz barged into the room.

"I thought I told you to have this place SPOTLESS!", he went on.

"Calm down Doofenshmirtz!", Rodney said in his own defense. "I JUST started this floor! I walked in here not five seconds ago. You SAW me walking this way!"

"Well..! Hurry up with it o-or lose your job!", Heinz stuttered, trying to not spill over his words as he stormed off again.

"Geez...", Rodney groaned, shaking his head while rolling his eyes.

"Um.. D?", Blood began again, trying to keep up with Heinz's quick, long, strides. "Heinz, you haven't answered my question."

"What's that? Norm, did you call?", Heinz said while looking elsewhere, though there was no one else. "Coming!"

"HEINZ.", Robert addressed, stepping in front of the fellow mad doctor, blocking his path so they could address the situation Heinz was avoiding. "...You're procrastinating, aren't you?"

"What?! ME?", Heinz said, as if surprised of the mere thought. "NO! I'm not procrastinating! Are you kidding me? No! No no no no no- yes..."

His demeanor had only a split second to change from denial to utter dismay as he hung his head. Robert knew him better than to accept his silly lies. Bloodpudding sighed and began tapping his foot expectantly.

"Alright..", he began. "What's holding you back? I mean come on it's been what? Over fifteen years that you've been trying to get this opportunity! It's not like you're still trying to hit on that Linda girl or anything, right?"

Heinz looked at Robert square in the eye, though his were wide. He swallowed hard and Bloodpudding could already tell where this was going.

"...HEINZ!", he started off in a scolding manner as he scowled at the man.

Heinz collapsed to his knees in defeat, burying his face in his hands while crying out, "I CAN'T HELP MYSELF!"

"What ever happened to that girl you dated?! Valerie, was it?" Robert asked.

"She hates me..."

"The one that stab- never mind.", Robert shook his head. "You doofus! It's been TEN years since you last saw her!"

"I'm so pathetic!", Doof wailed.

"YES! Yes you are! She could be married for all you know!"

"What if I look like a dumkoph!?", he said in silly panic.

"You ALWAYS look like a dumkoph, you dumkoph!", Robert scolded.

"But she was the only one that-"

"That filled your head with hopeless and stupid dreams!", Bloodpudding interrupted before Doof could get a word in.

Doof just sighed and sat back, leaning against the wall behind him and gazing up at the ceiling.

"...Maybe you're right...", Doofenshmirtz said, shaking his head.

"Yes I am. She's the reason why I have my hair like this, after all.", Bloodpudding said, carefully brushing his fire-shaped hair at the mention. "The reason why YOU have that embarrassing video all over the internet."

Heinz visibly cringed before sighing again. There was a moment of silence before the man on the floor shook his head dismally.

"...It's not just Linda is it?", Robert asked.

"...He doesn't even know me...", Heinz said quietly, forcing the tears in his eyes to remain at bay. "...What if they both end up hating me? What if I got the chance to finally meet him and...and he..."

He held his throat, the old familiar pain of wanting to cry, swelling. He didn't want to cry, but the tears fell anyway. The pain in his throat hurt more and he gave a shaky gasp, trying to calm himself down. Trying to push away the fearful thought, though it only burned more deeply into his mind.

Robert and Heinz had been friends almost since the day Heinz had arrived in America. Bloodpudding had been living in the country when he was twelve, he had lived in Switzerland before then, and took pity on the confused Druslestenian, that day he first showed up at their high school. Being kicked out of his parents' house and finding a cooperative way to pay the rent on his apartment with the new room mate, the two had become good friends, shouldering the challenges of school and adulthood. Good friends which, in this case, meant often bickering and fighting with each other without meaning to their anger and coming up with ridiculous bets, but sticking by each other's sides when real distraught approaches.

Not only being good friends with Heinz, but also living with him, has allowed Robert to know the man even better than Perry assumed he did. All those times Heinz seemed mad to Perry, even back in the DEI when he was literally SCREAMING at the platypus, Robert knew it as only a fraction to his true anger. Try purposefully messing up your room mate's EXTREMELY important date just to win a bet. All the times Heinz was upset or worried about Vanessa, it was the surface of his real concerns. Robert was the sort of best friend that would pick-lock his way into the DEI if he lost his copy of the keys. He could write an embarrassing biography and have it all hold true to Heinz's life. Perry's knowledge of Heinz was not nearly as deep or personal as what Robert had witnessed first hand.

And thus, Robert sat down beside this best friend of his and placed a reassuring arm around him while the man continued his silent cry.

"Get it over with.", Robert encouraged. "It's only going to hurt worse later."

Heinz heaved a sob, making it a good one and allowed his friend to comfort him. Knowing Robert as well as Heinz did, he knew the man was right like he normally was. Sure, Robert was a jerk a lot of the time, but he did know better.

"What if he hates me?", Heinz whimpered when he had calmed down, now moving his hands to rub his aching head. "What if he hates the fact that I'm evil?"

"Heinz, I doubt that's the case.", Robert said, hoping to sound comforting. "Remember when you last saw him?"

Just then Heinz's head flew up in alert as his eyes grew wide. With bloodshot eyes from the tears and skin growing pale, FAST, Robert then noticed that Heinz soon began to tremble just slightly as fear quickly overcame the man.

"...what if...he's just like me?", Heinz whispered, as if it was a terrible curse.

"Heinz. Calm down.", Robert said, now starting to become concerned. "Wouldn't that be a GOOD thing?"

Heinz simply turned to the man next to him and Robert visibly cringed before saying, "Alright, scratch that last part."

"Rob, I think I'm gonna be sick...", Heinz said, holding his stomach now as the white turned green.

"Heinz! Chill out! He might not hate you, he might not be like you and even if he does, you still have the other, right?"

"Oh gosh, now I KNOW I'm gonna be sick...", Heinz groaned. "She's going to be so upset at me..."

"For what? Keeping to your promise?"

"For taking so long... For never calling... For never seeing her in the last ten years.", Heinz listed dismally. "I never went to any important function she was attending like I've done Vanessa. I've never been there for her. I doubt she even remembers me... And even if she does, if she finds out what I'm like now...even she'll think I'm crazy."

"Well you won't know until you see them...right?", Robert encouraged quietly.

Heinz was silent for a moment before he curled up more against the wall, hugging his knees close to his chest.

"...We can send Norm if you're nervous.", Robert opted.

His friend gave a small nod and that's what they planned to do once Heinz recovered his ability to eat.

Ferb tucked Perry in for the night, making sure he was kept warm and secure in his blanket. Perry was feeling sick in his stomach for having to do this. Tonight's the night. He'd have to fool them he was dead tomorrow. Phineas gave his pet a reassuring squeeze of a hug.

"Good night, Perry.", he said. "Sleep well. If you need anything, don't worry about waking us up, alright?"

But Perry simply laid there in his pet basket, eyes open, blank expression, and unresponsive. Phineas' worried expression grew some and Ferb took a turn hugging him. The two boys petted him too before heading to bed.

"Good night, Perry.", Ferb said.

"Night, Perry.", Phineas said again, climbing into bed.

Perry made no response.

"...night...", Phineas whispered one last time.

The lights were turned out and the sky painted on the boys' ceiling suddenly became black with the room while small, dim, dabs of glow-in-the-dark paint lit up, creating a night sky above their heads. It was still light enough in the room that, once their eyes adjusted, the boys could see each other.

Phineas found it difficult to get any rest. He pulled the blankets up to his shoulder one minute and pushed it past his chest the next. He laid on one side and then the other. He laid on his back and gazed at the stars that usually comforted him, but the results didn't change. He could think of only one thing that would ease him at this point. He turned toward his brother and wondered if he was awake. After a moment of silence, Phineas dared himself to find out.

"...F...Ferb? Are you awake?", he asked quietly.

Ferb soon rolled over to face his brother and lifted his head up a bit. To Phineas' slight surprise, he didn't look as tired as was feared. On the contrary, he seemed very much awake. Maybe he couldn't sleep either.

"Ferb, do you um... do you think that Perry will be okay?", Phineas asked nervously. "I mean, he seemed a bit more active today, don't you think? Maybe he's getting better."

Ferb shrugged, looking a bit doubtful.

Phineas sighed softly and laid back down.

"I kinda can't help but wonder... what if he doesn't get better? 'Cause normally I wouldn't be this worried but he doesn't have symptoms of.. well, anything! Not even a temperature. And you know how animals... when they get sick they...", Phineas trailed off here, finding it hard to say the next words.

But he didn't need to. Ferb already knew what he was about to say, "when animals get sick, they go down hill, FAST". He knew his brother's thoughts because he shared them. Ever since Bucky got sick and, "went to live on kindly Old Man Simmon's farm", Ferb had decided to be exceedingly careful to make sure that Perry never got sick, and that if he did, the boy would do everything in his power to restore him to health. The only problem now was that Perry's only symptom was lethargy, which didn't completely match up to any platypus illness the brothers could think of, thus no definite cure could be found.

"I don't know, Ferb. I-I can't- What do you think?", Phineas asked, desperate for something hopeful.

Ferb stared at the ceiling and thought hard. What could he say? What could he say that would help his little brother sleep but wouldn't be a lie at the same time? After what felt like an eternity of silence, Ferb found only one thing to say.

"...I'm.. not sure what to think, Phineas..", he said knowing it was no help in the slightest.

Phineas let the words echo in his head before laying his head down again. He could feel tears trying to slip past his eyes, but he held them back as best as he could. Phineas heard the sheets in Ferb's bed shifting and looked over curiously. He saw that Ferb had moved to the far side of his bed, pulled the sheets down and was patting the spot next to him. Phineas accepted the invitation with a smile and migrated across the room. Being with his brother, he finally felt reassured and soon fell asleep.

After breakfast the next morning, Phineas and Ferb finally dared themselves to check on Perry. They raced up the stairs and slowly opened their bedroom door, trying not to disturb him too much. They quietly stepped towards the bundle of blankets in the pet basket.

"Hey, Perry..", Phineas called out softly. But there was no response. At all. Normally, Perry would at least shift, or cough or show some other sign that he acknowledged them. But this time there was nothing.

At this, Phineas stopped in his tracks and turned to Ferb with a worried expression. Earning only a shrug, he turned back to his platypus and inched closer.

"Perry.. H-how are you feeling?", he asked.

Phineas took a deep breath and slowly reached a hand out to gently lift the blankets. It took less than a second for him to jump back with a gasp. Phineas took a step back refusing to believe what he just saw.

"Uh... U-um, Ferb, c-could you-?"

Ferb placed a hand on his brother's shoulder before approaching the monotreme.

Phineas could only watch and hope that his eyes were lying. As quick as his breathing was, his heart only beated faster. He felt his stomach churning and his legs shaking. But then when Ferb spoke, Phineas' stomach leapt and stayed suspended. His legs stopped shaking, his breath was held, it even felt like his heart stopped because of two simple, sorrowful words.

"Oh, Perry..."

* * *

_Amber: I wrote this last scene, it's based off of my POV from when my guinea pig, Peter, died last year._

_Laura: Long live his royal caviness._

_Amber: Indeed. ^^_

_(Laura: For those of you who would be asking, the background between Robert and Heinz is that in highschool, they had made a bet over whether or not Heinz could hold onto Linda as a real girlfriend rather than a one-date thing. If Robert won and Heinz's date was ruined, Heinz would have to roller-skate into a toilet while being recorded so Robert could never let him live it down. If Heinz won, Robert had to work on his hair to make it look like fire and run around the lunch room, pretending it really was like fire and looking like an idiot for the whole school to laugh at him. Robert rigged the date so that Heinz would lose but after Doofenshmirtz found out, he didn't speak more than a word or two to Robert and when he did, it was very emotionless. Robert got him to smile again eventually, but also had to promise to keep his hair the way it is for the rest of their lives. Bloodpudding never really cared much for Linda while Heinz was head-over-heels for her and he typically blames Linda and other women for causing nothing but trouble in Doof's life. There'll eventually be a drabble series where a lot of these kinds of scenes they allude to would be explained as a reference.)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge._

_When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable._  
_All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind._

_They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster._

_You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart._

_Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together..._

_-Author unknown_

* * *

Candace walked down the hall from her bedroom and was distracted by a strange muffled sound. Curiosity got the better hold of her and she began to follow it.

She was beyond confusion as she stood outside of Phineas and Ferb's bedroom door. She pressed her ear against the door to make certain she had followed the sound correctly, which she had. What made it so confusing was that the noise sounded like crying, which in itself is completely normal except that it seemed to be coming from Phineas who NEVER cried!

Wanting an answer to this momentary mystery, Candace reached a fist up and knocked on the door after only a moment's hesitation.

Phineas was laying on his bed, tears pouring down his face. He was slightly surprised to hear the knock. Phineas wanted to ask whoever it was to leave him be, but he didn't want to be rude. He already felt uncomfortable requesting his parents' absence, let alone his brother's. for the first time in his life, he wanted solitude, but he didn't want to ask everybody for it and raise concern!

Feeling caught between a rock and a hard place, Phineas simply remained silent and hoped that whoever it was would go away. This secret wish, like a few others the boy had made, was not granted. Phineas sat up as the door was opened.

Candace was more than surprised to see her little brother's tear-stained face.

"Ph-Phineas?", asked Candace as she gingerly stepped into the room.

"Yes Candace?", Phineas croaked, wondering what it was his sister wanted.

Candace only stared in dismay at the young child. But as soon as she saw the bundle of blankets in Perry's pet basket, her expression softened into deep sympathy and she turned back to her brother who had buried his face into his knees.

"Phineas..."

Phineas sniffled and looked at his sister again, his eyes were over-flooded with tears.

_"Can people come back to life?"_, the boy asked her seven years ago.

At this moment, his drenched eyes and broken heart pleaded for her to say "yes", which of course, would not be the case, now, then, or ever. But then, Candace began to wonder if that's why their father died, all those years ago. Maybe that's why she suffered it, why it happened. Maybe it HAD to happen. To prepare her to this moment when Phineas would have to suffer the same heart-breaking pain of losing a loved one. When he would be forced to know what it feels like for his heart to shatter entirely. When he would need her probably more than ever. For she was the only one in the family, aside from Ferb, that could relate so perfectly.

Phineas soon found himself sobbing onto Candace's shoulder with her arms wrapped around him.

"Shh... it's okay.", she hushed lovingly. "It'll be okay.."

After choking down a sob, Phineas whispered, "It's not fair...", He wiped his nose and continued, a little louder. "There was nothing wrong with him! he wasn't old or-or anything! I don't understand... It's not fair..."

"I know, Phineas.", Candace said, allowing her own tears to fall. "But you did everything you could. You loved him, and he loved you, and you know what?"

Phineas sniffled and pulled away just enough to look at his sister.

With a gentle smile, Candace said, I know that his last thoughts were about you and Ferb.

Phineas sniffed again.

"You really believe that?"

"Yes, yes I do."

After Phineas and Candace hugged one last time, they came down stairs. Ferb had calmed himself down and Lawrence offered to help with the burial in the backyard.

"No, it's okay..", Phineas said, shaking his head. "I think Ferb and I will take care of it."

"You want me to make you something, Sweetie?", Linda asked. "A special snack for afterwards?"

"Thanks Mom, but it'll be alright.", Phineas said.

"You sure? No cookies or something?", she offered.

"If you want to, that'll be great.", Phineas shrugged. "Come on, Ferb. We should get to work."

The news was spread, via text, to their friends and by the time Django and Irving had finally entered the backyard, the hole was dug, a few chairs were sat up. The boys were ready to give Perry a proper burial. Coffin and all.

"I'm so sorry, guys.", Django said sadly before pulling up a stone. "I made a headstone if you guys needed one. Carved it myself."

On the top of it was Perry with a ring of flowers around him with the words underneath:

**_"Here lies Bartholomew Perry Flynn-Fletcher_**

**_A beloved and amazing platypus of family and friends._**

**_2008-2013._**

**_RIP"_**

"On the back, I carved out that old poem about the rainbow bridge.", he also said, turning it to show.

"Thanks, Django.", Phineas smiled a bit. "That'll be great."

Django went to set it up, Irving also gave his condolences and went to set up the slideshow. While the funeral was in session up to when everyone paused to have a moment of silence, no one noticed the small bundle of teal fur watching from behind the fence. Perry lowered himself and heaved a sigh, unable to watch the tears fall from his owners' faces.

'This...', he thought to himself before heading out of town. '..is why no one attends their own funerals...'

What Phineas and Ferb haven't realized is that during the middle of Perry's last night with them, he gave some extra love of a few chatters and sitting in their laps willingly as a goodbye and then swapped himself with a stuffed platypus. Perry knew the boys well enough though and was especially careful to ensure that the fake looked as close to the original as possible. Same eyes, shade of fur, lengths, everything. They couldn't be fooled in the slightest. While the boys slept, Perry made the swap and he left. He came back long enough to see them a last time while other agents are still making their way to the base, but now he had to leave. For good. Forever. With tears in his eyes, Perry entered into the Owca's headquarters and made his way to the trucks that awaited him.

When everyone was ready, Francis closed the door on the back of the truck and everyone watched as the last of their sunlight, minus a few small windows at the very top of the large truck, disappeared. And Perry mentally watched, with his heart tearing to shreds at the sight of it, the tears flow down Phineas' normally so happy face.

Phineas' normally so happy face, however, still had his eyes closed in silence when he suddenly remembered something. His eyelids fluttered open and he quickly reached into the hole that the coffin laid in. They hadn't pushed in the dirt yet, and he was more than thankful for that.

"...Phineas?", Isabella asked, taking a peek to only find her eyes shoot open as she saw her lover with his face deep in the hole before them. "What are you doing?"

"I forgot Perry's locket!", Phineas explained.

"Epic fail...", Buford muttered to Baljeet.

Phineas pulled up the rigid platypus from the box and dug around in his fur for the locket. But then Phineas began to look confused. He dug deeper, running his hand all around the platypus' neck before suddenly holding the monotreme out at arm's length in shock and slight fear.

"THIS ISN'T PERRY!", he exclaimed, earning a round of shocked gasps.

"What?! Phineas, are you SURE?", Isabella asked.

"Yeah, Dinnerbell! It's not like you've ever seen a dead platypus before.", Buford said, hoping that Phineas wasn't being truthful.

"No! I KNOW this isn't Perry!", Phineas restated, shaking his head. "Perry NEVER takes off his locket! He can't anyway! And Ferb and I certainly don't take it off!"

"Well maybe it fell off?", Baljeet opted.

"Or maybe you took it off, but then forgot you did.", Django noted.

"No, guys. It was on his neck. It was never taken off.", Phineas said, shaking his head before turning the platypus around and holding it up to everyone. "This isn't MY Perry!"

It was then that Ferb noticed something and he held it out in clear sight of the others. A small white tag sewn onto the right hind leg of the stuffed platypus.

"...Ferb?", Phineas asked, lowering the platypus and looking at his brother, almost fearfully. "Where's Perry?"

* * *

_Laura: BA BA BUMM! XD And I would just like to say for the record that the beginning scene between Phineas and Candace was a piece written entirely by Amber.  
_

_Amber: Thanks for the mention, sis. ^^_


	5. Chapter 5

Perry was in a truck, heading off to Canada, curled up in the left-hand corner at the back with Pinky, and actually, managing to smile a bit.

_"'No, Pinky. Less throat, more voice.'"_, Perry instructed. "Rrrrr."

"GRRRrrrr.", Pinky growled, straining to keep his growling and his voice separate.

_"'No. No. You're doing better, but you're still not getting it.'"_, Perry shook his head. "Rrrr!"

"GrrrrrRRRRrrrr!", Pinky strained.

Perry chuckled and shook his head. He knew that "r" would be tricky for the dog.

_"'Take a break, amigo.'"_, Perry said. _"'We can get back to that later.'"_

_"'Can I ask a question?'"_, Pinky asked. _"'Did it hurt your throat when you learned too?'"_

_"'Yeah. It still does. That's why it comes out really gruff sounding.'"_, Perry said, gently rubbing his throat at the memory. _"'But you know, you speak it long enough and you get over it.'"_

_"'Cool.'"_

_"'So you wanna try the c-h sound again?'"_, Perry offered.

_"'Sure!'"_, Pinky sat up a bit more, his tail wagging back and forth. _"'That one's funny to do!'"_

_"'Alright. Try saying..'"_, Perry paused for a moment before clearly enunciating in English. "Cheese."

"Hhheeez.", Pinky tried.

_"'No. C-H, Pinky. C-H affect.'"_, Perry instructed. "CHeese. Like the music at Isabella's. Cha-cha-cha!"

"Chhheeeaaz.", Pinky struggled with, earning a laugh from his tutor.

_"'It sounds like "cheers" with some kind of an accent!'"_, Perry laughed before speaking English with an Australian accent. "Cheers, mate!"

Pinky and Perry laughed a bit and Pinky tried again, "Cheeezzz."

_"'Are you trying to teach Pinky to speak HUMAN?!'"_, Emily the Echidna gaped, unable to help but over hear.

Perry facially cringed hearing another agent address them and sighed at the accusation.

_"'Well what's wrong with that?'"_, Pinky asked casually. _"'I asked him to.'"_

_"'What's wrong with-!? He's contaminating you, that's what's wrong with it!'"_, Bill the lizard hissed.

_"'Well you know what?'"_, Perry started, finally unable to tolerate their indignant attitude any longer. "That's what I was bred to do!"

The platypus got up and whirled around to meet the other agents, his eyes narrowed in growing anger. Everyone else backed up a step, surprised to hear such a horrible thing in human speech!

"Face facts people! Had I NOT blown my secret, that's EXACTLY the sort of thing I would've been COMMANDED to teach you anyway by our bosses!"

"Amen!", Peter shouted from the opposite corner, earning a few yelps of surprise from the others.

_"'But it's so unnatural!'"_, another agent, Derek the Dog, groaned in disgust. _"'It's like betraying your own kind!'"_

Perry only growled impatiently when a thought struck him.

"...Larry, say 'cheese'!", Perry ordered Larry the Lyrebird to do.

"CHEESE!", Larry suddenly mimicked.

_"'AAH! LARRY!'"_, the other animals gasped and yelped. _"'Larry shut up!'"_

_"'Shut up!'"_, Larry mimicked loudly. "Cheese!"

Perry and Pinky began to laugh as the other agents were thrown into a frenzy.

"Cheese!", Larry continued to call. _"'Shut up!'"_ "Cheese! Say!" _"'Shut up!'"_

Unlike the other agents, Larry was one of the few that naturally spoke human as a natural call. But he was still a newbie, so he was still learning the difference between when to behave like a mindless animal and when to be a secret agent. Larry the Lyrebird was the only agent everyone could agree on, that was more stupid than Peter. But he was still young. He just needed time.

"Cheese!"

_"'LARRY!'"_, the agents continued. _"'Stop! Shut up!'"_

"_Shut-!_ Cheese! Ch-ch-cha cheese!", Larry continued, almost in a beat-boxing sort of manner as he swapped between languages.

***BANG! BANG! BANG!***

"Settle down back there!", Monogram's voice ordered via a P.A. system hooked into the truck.

_"'SHUT UP!'"_, Larry cried out mindlessly.

_"'LARRY!'"_, the other agents cried out.

"WHY DON'T YOU ALL SHUT UP?!", Peter shouted. "I CAN'T EVEN HEAR MY MUSIC IN MAX!"

Perry and Pinky continued to roll on the floor in laughter as now Larry's brain began to become overstimulated and all the other agents were in chaos.

"_Shut!_ CHEESE! Max-muse! Don't _up_ cheese! Say!", Larry went on before the voice of his current nemesis began to ring out through the truck from him. "BWA HA HA HA! CURSE! CHEESE! My-even-can't! Cha-cha-cha! Cheese! You curse music! Settle _up_-_shut_ down! HA HA HA HA HA! BEHOLD! Cheese! Can't music! Curse max music cheese! Cha-cha-cha cheese max BWA HA HA HA HA HA-!"

Finally someone managed to pull his hat over his eyes. With the stupidity of thinking it's night now, Larry promptly fell asleep, thus ending the mayhem. After everything settled the agents turned angrily on Perry who was still holding his sides, hurting from laughing so hard.

_"'Now look at what you did!'"_, Emily scolded some more.

_"'What? Shut up an idiot?'"_, Pinky asked between laughs.

_"'Emily, I think you fail to realize..'"_, Perry began, starting to calm himself down now. _"'That I didn't do anything. Larry's the one who imitated me. It's just a NATURAL thing for him to do.'"_

_"'Freak..'"_, Cheri the cat scoffed. _"'Like you could ever know what natural is!'"_

Perry's face grew serious, hearing this remark. He stood up, confronting the other agents head on while some took a step back.

"You know, I am SO SICK and tired of how you guys are all prejudice against me just because I'm a nonanimal!", Perry went on. "I was best friends with most of you before then but I guess you're all just so SHALLOW that friendship obviously means NOTHING to you! You wanna talk about how horrible genetically engineered animals are?! LOOK AT PINKY! Look at different breeds of your own kind! Specific breeding is ALSO genetic engineering and if wasn't for that, there would NEVER be such a thing as a chihuahua! Or a duck-billed platypus! YEAH. The beaver-tailed platypus, the brown one, THAT'S the old heritage breed! Us blue platypuses weren't ALWAYS around as you should very well know, Penny!"

"Preach it!", Peter called out, encouragingly while Penny shirked back a bit, hearing her own kind being brought to attention.

"You know! Actually! I wouldn't be surprised if you could take an African elephant and an Asian elephant, bred them together, and could recreate the woolly mammoth!"

"Well it would only be a similar affect considering that the genus of the average elephant is different than a mammoth's. And you would also have to provide the correct climate controls and populace that would be similar to... oh I'd say around the pangea times.", Peter said before pulling out his mp3 player.

"Yeah! I- Whoa. Wait. What?", Perry stammered, looking over wildly at the panda bear.

But by now, Peter was already listening to his music and bobbing his head in time to the beat. There was an awkward moment of silence and Perry looked back at all the stunned animals. He sighed and sat back against the wall.

_"'You know what?'"_, he chattered. _"'Forget it. You obviously don't get it and you never will... Who am I kidding? I'm just wasting my breath.'"_

Everyone was silent for the moment. There was a mixed feeling of guilt and defeat in the air. But after a moment of silence, it was finally broken.

"Cheeeezzzz.", Pinky struggled to say.

Perry looked over at Pinky, before sighing and reburying his face in his hands while saying, "Great. I've contaminated you. That was perfect, Pinky."

Pinky's hopeful shoulders dropped and his tail fell between his legs.

_"'...I was just trying to cheer you up, amigo..'"_, Pinky whimpered.

_"'Amigo, I don't mean to be harsh with you, but you can't.'"_, Perry said. _"'Cause you know? The biggest problem isn't that I'm a nonanimal. No. I'm not THAT concerned with it, really.'"_

_"'Really?'"_, Pinky asked.

_"'Really. The biggest problem I have with all of this is that I'm worried about how everyone's going to lose their jobs.'"_

_"'Whatcha mean, amigo?'"_

_"'Oh puh-leeze. Biologically Advanced Creatures Opposing Ne'erdowells?'"_, Perry asked. _"'Biologically Advanced it just special wording for genetically engineered. We're teaming up with an ENTIRE ORGANIZATION OF G.E.A.S!'"_

The agents gasped and one even passed out.

_"'So. If everyone's gonna have a problem with ME being G.E.A., I'd hate to see what happens when they're SURROUNDED by nonanimals as co-workers.'"_, he said, rather uncaringly.

_"'...Well... Are you really that different?'"_, Pinky asked after a pause.

_"'Whatcha mean?'"_, Perry asked.

_"'From other platypuses.'"_, Pinky shrugged. _"'Aside from a bigger brain, are you really all that different? I mean, name ONE difference between you and other platypuses.'"_

Perry thought about this a moment. He hadn't actually given it much thought. But then his mind raced back to Doofenshmirtz being a platypus, and he couldn't help but smile a bit.

_"'...I've got four layers instead of three.'"_, he finally admitted. _"'The fourth's a thin layer of small feathers.'"_

That's why Doof was wondering while he was a platypus. It was true, Perry had small feathers. But that was just Perry. An unusual platypus that Heinz was trying to copy off of.

_"'Hey!'"_, Peter began suddenly, unable to help but overhear the conversation. _"'Is that why when you were little you tried to-'"_

_"'YES! Yes... I did.'"_, Perry said, his face turning red as he was trying to prevent saying his attempts to fly as a platypup. _"'Shut up and go back to your music, Peter.'"_

Peter promptly did so with a smirk and Pinky carried on the conversation.

_"'...Well does the fourth layer do anything? Fire lasers or something?'"_, Pinky asked, rather sarcastic on the second question.

Perry laughed a bit and said, _"'No. It's really just fluff more than anything.'"_

_"'...Why do you..um..'"_, another agent began quietly, a bit afraid of their action. _"'Wha-what's with the sweat?'"_

_"'Hm? Oh. Right. Everyone thinks it's milk. No. It's not. It just LOOKS like it, but as Penny can very easily explain as can other females, it's only a mothering thing. It looks like milk as opposed to normal sweat, but it's actually poison.'"_, Perry explained. _"'And the toxic levels of it is actually higher than a normal platypuses. Even for humans, it's fatal if too much is consumed and can cause small affects by the fumes.'"_

At this, everyone, including Pinky, took a step back from the platypus.

_"'..I'M NOT SWEATING NOW!'"_, Perry chattered in embarrassment. _"'You've got to be like, in a crowded elevator with me for four hours straight for it to have any affect!'"_

_"'You know, that's pretty unbelievable.'"_, Penny began disbelievingly. _"'How do we know you're not just a girl? I mean, no zoologist looking at you would be able to tell!'"_

A few snickers ran about the room but Perry tried to take this as calmly as he could with a sly smile.

_"'Well that's true Penny!'"_, he began casually, walking up to her as the other agents parted away from him. _"'No one WOULD be able to tell from looking at me.'"_, he stopped in front of her, flashing a bright debonaire smile. _"'You could be the first to find out.'"_

The mere suggestion was far enough on Penny's temper as she reeled in her arm and threw a punch at the platypus in fluster and frustration. Perry caught the fist though and used it as an opportunity to pull her closer so that her bill was only inches from his own.

_"'Am I to take this as an invitation?'"_, he asked slyly.

Penny's face flushed a brilliant shade of red and she shoved him off with a groan.

_"'YOU JERK!'"_, she shouted, retreating into the crowd of agents indignantly.

More laughter rang out and the wall between Perry and his fellow agents was finally broken. Some apologized for their behavior and others bombarded the platypus with questions, wondering what other differences there were.

_"'Hey! Can you see this thing, humans call color?'"_, one agent asked.

_"'Actually, I can.'"_, Perry said.

_"'Really?'"_, another agent gasped.

_"'What's it like?'"_, a third asked.

_"'Well.. It's um.. It's really...colorful, actually.'"_, Perry said, unsure of how to describe it. _"'It's.. It's more than fifty shades of gray, I can say that much.'"_

_"'Do you have any normal instincts?'",_ another asked.

_"'Actually I'm sure that some of the other female agents, especially Penny, can help you answer that.'"_, Perry chuckled, earning a few laughs. _"'Yes, I do have some instincts. But it's much easier for me to restrain them.'"_

As the agents continued to talk and laugh, Peter finally opened one of his eyes, seeing Perry mixed in perfectly with the others, just as he always was. The panda couldn't help but finding a smile on his face and settled more into his corner, finding balance in his life once again and the small possibility that perhaps, his life-long rival wasn't so bad after all.

Elsewhere, though, there was a lot of work to do. While Phineas packed and got ready for the "sleepover" that he and Ferb were using as an alibi to track down the missing platypus, Ferb prepared a small DNA tracking device in the garage. Phineas worked halfway on it while Ferb packed and so now they've traded out. The young inventor was making sure to pack not for a sleepover, but for a long car trip. After all, who knew what's about to happen? The least he could do was pack in some extra clothes, his pillow, blanket, and a mini blow-torch, just in case.

"Phineas!", Linda called from the bottom of the stairs. "Are you done packing?"

"Coming Mom!", Phineas called back, slinging the backpack over his shoulder.

"I'll be waiting in the car!", she said.

He paused as he reached the doorway though and looked back into the room. He wasn't just quite ready to leave yet. Phineas sat the backpack on the floor and came over to his bed. He fished around behind it and pulled out a small, dusty, black box with a yellow string neatly tied around it.

_"Phineas, there's something I want you to have.", Ohio Flynn said, laying across his bed with small, 5 year-old Phineas by his side._

_He reached over next to him and pulled out a small box. Phineas careful took it from his dieing great grandfather's hands and opened it._

_"It's a knife..", Phineas observed, fingering the sheath in the box carefully, as if the blade would cut his finger through the leather._

_Ohio nodded, ignoring everyone else's surprise._

_"It's a hunting knife. I used to have some of the best days of my life when I carried it with me on my adventures.", Ohio explained. "Remember? Those stories I used to tell you."_

_Phineas gave a nod and then blinked curiously before asking, "So... It's good luck?"_

_"You can say that.", Ohio smiled. "Take it with you whenever you're going somewhere new."_

_"...Grandpa Ohio...", Phineas began before holding it back up to him. "If it's lucky, you should have it. So you won't die."_

_Ohio laughed a little and said with a shake of his head, "No, Phineas. It's only lucky when you're going places and having an adventure."_

_He closed Phineas' small hands around it and smiled at the young boy. Phineas looked back up, unable to help but smile at the sparkle he found in his grandfather's eyes._

_"I want you to keep it.", he said. "Don't use it unless you absolutely need to. Promise?"_

_"..I promise.", Phineas nodded._

_"Good.", Ohio said. "I know you're not much like me, Phineas, but you're going to have some of the best days of your life, I can tell you that right now."_

_"Really?", Phineas asked in breathy excitement. "How do you know that?"_

_"Cause I just do.", Ohio said simply. "Carpe Diem."_

_"Carpe- what?"_

_"Carpe Diem. I want you to seize the day.", Ohio explained. "Promise?"_

_"I promise."_

Phineas was now fingering the sheath again, holding it in his hand, running his thumb along it's sides. If there was ever a time he needed luck, it was now. Especially since it was all around family both in the situation and the trinket. He dug it deep into his backpack, and headed down the stairs. Before he got to the garage though, he paused, looking around the kitchen.

As Candace walked by, she noticed Phineas stuffing cookies and zip-locked baggies with sandwiches into his backpack as well.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?", Candace asked.

Unable to bring himself to lie, Phineas replied truthfully, "Well.. I... Um.. Well Ferb and I found out that Perry's not dead. So we're going to look for him."

"What? I thought you guys buried Perry.", Candace said, unbelieving. "What are you really up to?"

"Candace, I'm serious. That platypus wasn't Perry.", Phineas said, shaking his head. "We're going to look for him after Mom drops us off at Irving's."

"What?! You're just gonna up and leave to find Perry? Ooh when Mom finds out about this-!", Candace began, starting to march off to the garage.

"NO!", Phineas exclaimed, quickly running off to block her way. "Candace! Please! Don't tell Mom! I don't want her getting worried!"

"Are you kidding me? How soon are you going to be back from this?", Candace asked, folding her arms across her chest expectantly.

"...I'm...I'm not sure..", Phineas admitted in slight disappointment.

"Well then, I should tell her, right?", Candace asked.

"Candace. Please! You KNOW how much Perry means to me and Ferb! Please.. Promise you won't tell?", Phineas begged.

Candace stared at him for a moment. Her brother was literally begging for her help. And it was true. She did know how much the platypus meant to her brothers. Heck, she knew what family meant to her and Phineas. She could still see the innocent little 3 year-old boy peering up at her, now hoping she'd side with him.

"...Oh just make sure you get back by the end of the week!", she growled, trying to mask her real feelings though earning a hopeful smile from her little brother.

"Thanks Candace!", Phineas said, hugging her legs.

"Alright. Alright. Hurry up.", she ordered.

Phineas did so and was soon heading out to the garage.

"And if you're not here by the end of the week, your butts are mine!", she threatened.

"Can do, Candace!", Phineas called back.

"...Be safe...", she said quietly and worriedly, more to herself than anything.

When the boys were dropped off at Irving's, Buford and Baljeet soon showed up, also packed.

"Alright. Where's the platypus?", Burford asked as he walked into the house.

"Hang on, guys. We gotta wait for Isabella.", Phineas said.

Granted while Isabella may not have been a part of the original sleepover, she was planning on joining them in finding Perry. The only one not involved with this was Django, to keep parental suspicions low.

"Besides, we're not tracking Perry until we have some transportation.", Phineas went on to explain. "Irving's asking his brother right now if we can borrow his car."

"And here's the keys!", Irving said, holding them up as he walked in.

"Irving, you're timing is impeccable!", Phineas said brightly, taking the keys and handing them over to Ferb. "Ferb's got a remote control and an antenna to attach to the car so we won't break any laws."

"So how did you convince your brother to lend you his car?", Baljeet asked curiously while Phineas and Ferb left to rig the car.

"Oh, I didn't convince him.", Irving said. "I just made a quick copy of his keys."

"I am both impressed, and slightly frightened by your ability to quickly produce things.", Buford said uneasily.

"Whatcha doin?", Isabella asked typically as she entered the garage where Phineas and Ferb were working.

"We're modifying the car.", Phineas answered, happy to see Isabella join them. "How'd you slip out?"

"I told my mom the fireside girl scouts and I are working on our sleepover patches.", Isabella explained. "We're supposed to each take a turn hosting a sleepover. By the time we get back, it'll probably be my turn."

"Awesome.", Phineas smiled brightly. "Well in that case, I guess we're all set."

The kids climbed into the car and Ferb pulled out a small plastic baggy with a strand of platypus hair. He carefully placed it in the DNA tracker and after a moment, it began to beep and a GPS-lock was shown on the screen.

"Ferb, let's get going!", Phineas said brightly.

Ferb started up the car, but then Baljeet leaned past the seats to get a better look.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. HOW fast is Perry going?", Baljeet asked in astonishment.

Phineas blinked a bit and looked carefully.

"...About.. 75 miles per hour.", he said before exchanging curious looks with Ferb. "...That's pretty fast for a platypus."

"Isn't that the average speed on a highway?", Isabella asked.

"Well who knows? Maybe he's been kidnapped by a poacher.", Buford suggested with a shrug.

"Ha ha! Buford! You need to learn when to BE QUIET.", Baljeet said through gritted teeth with narrowed eyes.

"What? It's possible.", he said casually.

"Um.. Buford, while that IS a plausible answer to why Perry's gone, can we keep extreme possibilities out of this?", Phineas asked uneasily.

"Phineas. Please.", Buford scoffed. "Who's the one that builds the biggest, most exciting, most extreme and highly improbable things, on a DAILY BASIS? I'm just being real about this. Knowing you guys, that's EXACTLY the sort of thing that would happen!"

"Yeah, but still...", Phineas said. "Perry IS family. I'd like to not think about something as bad as a poacher being involved with him."

"Alright. Alright.", Buford shrugged.

They started their journey and Phineas slightly worried. Was what Buford saying, true? What if their platypus was kidnapped? He tried not to think about it much as the car sped off under Ferb's control.

Meanwhile, at the Flynn-Fletcher residence, Candace sighed with content, leaning against the counter of the kitchen. Peace and quiet. For once, she didn't have to worry about family matters for the time being. Not until Phineas and Ferb come back from their "sleepover".

'In fact..', she began mentally, as she stood up some more. 'I think I hear the mall calling for Stacy and me!'

She began to head to the front door when she passed by the living room and caught word of some of the conversation nearby.

"No, I'm sorry I don't know a Heinz Doofenshmirtz.", Linda was saying.

"Are you sure?", a different, male, rather happy-sounding voice asked. "Weren't you Lindana?"

"No.", Candace heard Linda lie with no difficulty.

The teenager gasped, hearing not only Linda obviously lying, but also hearing the name "Heinz Doofenshmirtz". Who was this asking about Heinz Doofenshmirtz?

"Well, I'm sorry to have wasted your time!", the man said. "I guess I was mistaken!"

Candace heard loud, thundering footsteps, and soon a large robotic man was walking by her, on his way out the door.

Norm came out of the house and began thinking of the next few places to try. There weren't many women named Linda in the Tri-State Area. Maybe he should try the other names Dr. Doofenshmirtz told him to find. What were they again? Can...something...

"Excuse me?", a small voice said.

Norm looked around and soon saw Candace standing on the grass of the lawn next to him.

"Um.. Did you say something about Heinz Doofenshmirtz?", Candace asked, fearful of the large robot towering over her.

"Yes! Yes I did!", Norm replied, cheery as ever. "He was wanting to find a family named the Flynns! Now I remember! The other members he was looking for, were called Candace and Phineas Flynn!"

"Candace Flynn?", Candace repeated. "Um... Is that Candace GERTRUDE Flynn?"

"I'm not sure! He just said 'Candace Flynn'.", Norm said.

Candace thought this over. Was it possible? _HEINZ DOOFENSHMIRTZ?_ Maybe they weren't talking about the same people.

"Um.. Excuse, me, Sir?", Candace began. "Um.. You say you're working for Heinz Doofenshmirtz? Is that um.. Is that the..._*gulp*_...the same one I'm thinking you're working for?"

"I can honestly say, I don't know.", Norm said. "Does he look like this?"

Norm withdrew a framed picture of his dad and the moment Candace saw it, she gasped in astonishment.

"Th-th-that's him! Ho-how-how-?! I-I mean-!", Candace shook her head, rubbed her eyes, and then looked carefully at the picture, tears welding up in her eyes. "...I thought he was dead..."

"No! He's very much alive!", Norm said.

Candace gave a weak laugh, brought a hand to her head. Suddenly she felt very dizzy. He was alive. Heinz Doofenshmirtz was really alive. She wiped away a few daring tears, but others fell and try as she might, she couldn't stop them.

"Are you, Candace Flynn?", Norm asked, earning a nod.

"I can't believe he's really alive...", Candace uttered quietly.

But Candace was nervous. Was she really ready to face her past? Obviously, her mom wasn't keen at the idea of seeing Heinz again for whatever reason it was. To go with this robot, it'd almost be like disobeying every rule Linda had placed down. The grand-daddy of all the house rules. But to see him again.. It's been so long. Candace looked back up at the robot, her guts clenching in fear and excitement.

"Can.. Can you take me to him?", she asked.

"That's exactly what I was asked to do!", Norm said brightly before bending down and scooping her up.

With a blast of smoke and fire, and a scream of surprise from Candace, Norm took off to the sky. The teenager clutched tightly to the robot till she became comfortable with the idea of their flight and looked back up.

"Um.. What's your name again?", she asked.

"I'm Norm!", the robot replied.

"...Thank you so much Norm.", Candace replied, giving the robot a small hug.

Doofenshmirtz paced back and forth nervously in his office. Fear was undeniable and nothing could calm him down. He was about to face the family he had left so long ago. The family he had denied ever being a part of for both his and Linda's sakes. His internal organs squirmed and flipped and knotted up with each passing thought that flew through his mind.

Linda, Candace, and Phineas. Phineas scared him the most. The last Heinz saw him he was barely a few weeks old and sleeping soundly on his blanket or in his bassinet. What if he was like Heinz? Not in the sense that he loved to build things, but that he was always miserable. That he found life not worth living? What if he was so emotionally scarred, he was heading right down into the same roads Heinz traveled as a kid? Ignored, alone, blindly hopeful though often disappointed. It worried him to no end.

And what of Candace? Whatever happened to his little sunshine? Was she still there? Would she still love him? What if she loved her other dad more? What if she had a boyfriend that was even worse than Johnny was to Vanessa?

And Linda...

The doors opened and Heinz felt his heart jump at the sound as he whirled around. Norm came in, and Heinz was slightly disappointed. Did Linda still pretend to not know him?

"..Did you find any of them?", Doof asked, fearing the answer.

"All but one!", Norm replied dutifully. "Linda has no recollection of you..."

Heinz heaved a sigh of disappointment before saying, "Well I shoulda seen tha-"

"...but Candace does!", Norm went on to say, ignoring what Doof was rambling on about.

"Candace-?", Doof suddenly said, forgetting all about Linda.

"She's waiting for you outside right now because she said she feels a little afraid.", Norm said.

Heinz felt his heart leap higher than when Norm came in and bolted out the door. Call it paternal instincts, but hearing his Sunshine was afraid, he forgot about it all. Linda, his fears of Phineas, his fear to even see her until he came into the room and saw her standing there with her back to the door.

Suddenly hearing the doors slam open, Candace turned around and froze. Aside from the white lab coat, he hadn't changed at all. She felt her innards knot up at the sight of him standing there, wide-eyed and just as rigid as she felt. And after the while, she realized she had to break the silence for the both of them, as hard as it seemed.

"...D-d-da-d...D-da-", she stuttered and stammered.

Heinz quickly embraced her, already seeing her own fear for this reunion. As long as she wasn't mad at him and was willing to speak to him, it was going to be alright. The iceberg melted in this one embrace and Candace soon found herself crying into the man's shoulder and he in hers.

"Shh. Shh..", he shushed lovingly. "I-I know. I mean I-"

He broke apart enough to look at her, tears in their eyes, and managed to crack his lips into a small smile.

"...My gosh, Candace...", he said quietly, still choking back the tears in his throat. "...Look how big you've gotten..."

Candace gave a weak, quivering smile, but then proceeded to hug him once again crying out, "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too...", he said, holding her close as he nuzzled and then kissed the top of her head.

* * *

_Laura: DIE PATHETIC HUMANS! DIE FROM THE FEELS! X3333_

_Amber: SUFFER THE FEELS!_


	6. Chapter 6

Candace was brought into the office where she was met with another hug from her Uncle Robert, and she and Heinz sat down on couches that surrounded a coffee table. So many questions, where to begin, neither one even knew.

"So...", Heinz began with a smile. "Should I start my story or do you wanna share yours?"

Candace gave a weak chuckle, picking up a small butterscotch from the bowl in front of her.

"I think I wanna hear you first.", Candace said. "Why didn't you ever come back? Actually, why did you leave in the first place?"

Heinz sighed a bit, his smile faltering. He and Bloodpudding exchanged glances and Heinz sighed again, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees while he looked at the floor.

"It's... A long story...", he started before noticing Candace had gotten up from her seat and sat down beside him comfortingly, obviously willing to hear it. "Well... well your mother and I... We never got married.."

"I know that. But why did you leave?"

"Cause she was tired of putting up with me. Putting up with my exploding appliances. The lack of a job, the arguments. She was actually more mad at me than you would first think, sweetie.", Heinz began to explain. "So.. She kicked me out. She told me she never wanted to see me again and if I every tried getting close to her or you and Phineas, she'd call the cops or worse...bring court into it. I respected her wishes and kept my distance. I called her one last time around your sixth birthday, hoping I could get the chance to see you.."

"And she let you.", Candace nodded. "I remember that."

"You do?", Heinz said with a slightly surprised smile as he turned to her.

Candace reached into her purse that she grabbed on her way out the door and pulled out a small Ducky Momo key-chain with a copy of the house keys attached to it. Heinz gave a small laugh, seeing the small yellow duck.

"After all these years?"

"Always.", Candace smiled gently. "I've still got your costume in my closet back home."

Heinz chuckled a bit and they hugged once more.

"So... What work was it that you had to go do?", Candace asked. "Not construction, right?"

"Construction?", Doof asked curiously, letting go and sitting back a bit.

Candace shook her head, said with an exasperated tone, "Don't worry about it."

"No no. Why would I be in construction?", Heinz pressed on. "Who gave you that idea?"

Candace sighed some herself. She didn't want to bring this up, but knew it was inevitable.

"Mom...", she said. "Mom told Phineas that you.. That you died in a construction accident."

"...I died?", Doof asked in disbelief, earning a small nod. "...In... a construction accident?"

"Yeah..", Candace said before giving a weak smile. "Pretty silly, eh?"

But Heinz merely narrowed his eyes and pouted in a sort of angry manner, eying his daughter suspiciously.

"And...WHY would she tell Phineas this?", he asked with a small shake of his head.

"Cause.. Well cause Phineas was supposed to draw a picture of our family, and someone asked where the dad was.", Candace explained. "So Phineas asked Mom and Mom said you died. When he told me, I asked her and she told me too. And...after that..she never wanted you mentioned again.."

"Well that certainly explains why Norm's never been able to find her.", Heinz rolled his eyes with a shake of his head. "Oh my gosh. Movie reference much?!"

Candace gave a weak laugh and added with a Southern accent, "You were hit by a train."

Heinz chuckled a bit, shaking his head.

"And she's married, I'm assuming?", he asked.

"Momma says he's bona fide.", Candace went on quoting "O Brother Where Art Thou?".

"Oh gosh..", Doofenshmirtz shook his head with a playful roll of his eyes. "What does he do? Sit at a computer all day long like one of those office worker drones?"

Candace had to laugh at this before explaining, "No! He's an antique salesman."

"Guess I scared her too much with my advanced technology.", Heinz chuckled.

"His name is Lawrence Fletcher.", Candace said. "He's British."

"Oh, really?", Heinz asked. "Yeah, your mom always had a thing for foreigners."

Candace giggled a bit before saying, "Obviously!"

They laughed a bit and Candace went on to explain, "Yeah. I even have a new little brother now. His name's Ferb."

"Oh! Oh holy doonkleberries! Brothers! Can- No. NORM!", Doof growled, turning onto the robot now. "Where on earth is Phineas?! I thought I told you to find him!"

"Oh no! No no umm...", Candace began before she saw her father's attention go to her.

She began to worry. She had no clue where Phineas really was. But she didn't want her dad to worry.

"That's not.. uh.. necessary. Um..", she stammered, trying to buy time. "Cause.. Cause I can tell you all about him!"

Mentally, she cursed herself. What was she going to say? "Hey Dad! Your son's an Albert Einstein trapped in a ten year-old's body!" Yeah. How well does that work on Linda? She'd be labeled as crazy instantly.

"Oh.. Well... That's true.", Heinz said with a shrug. "So! I... Well actually I really only have one real concern. He's not...like, depressed most of the day or anything is he?"

Candace blinked a bit in confusion. Phineas? Depressed? As if! The only time he was was when Perry was dead and that was perfectly plausible. But most of the day? That was more like herself than anything.

"No!", Candace scoffed. "What? PHINEAS? No, Dad. He's like, the happiest thing you would ever see! The only time he ISN'T happy is...it's as rare as a blue moon!"

Doofenshmirtz gave a sigh of relief at this. His son, his ONLY SON, wasn't depressed. He didn't have emotional scars. He wasn't upset for most of his life. Now he can handle anything she threw at him.

"...But he is like you.", Candace noted, starting to make Doof worry again. "..Actually... Quite a bit like you..."

"...Ho-how-how so?", Heinz asked.

"Well... You know... He um.. He...", Candace began, shifting uncomfortably.

"Candace, hon, you can tell me. How is he like me?", Heinz asked, curious of his daughter's uneasiness.

"...N-no..", Candace shook her head. "You'd...you'd think I was crazy..."

"What? No!", Doof denied. "No! Candace, I won't think you're crazy!"

"Yes you will...", Candace concluded, turning away, refusing to look at him though he tried to bring her face to meet his with his hand. "You would eventually. Mom does. My friends do. Everyone thinks I'm crazy.."

"Candace!", Heinz gaped. "Whatever happened to my ball of sunshine?!"

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Heinz could already tell "Sunshine" was gone. Candace was already on the verge of tears, the scab over her own emotional scars, being picked away at. And as much as Heinz wanted to not hurt his daughter, he knew he had to keep prying if he was going to help her. Cause despite his internal rage at anyone causing his own daughter to be emotionally scarred, he wanted to make sure first, that she knew he was there to be of comfort. It was one of the many things he ever looked forward to in being a dad. Comforting his children in times they didn't have anyone. Just like now.

"...Candace..", Heinz began again quietly, reaching an arm around his daughter as she blinked back tears, forcing herself not to cry. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders securely, pulling her closer in the process and Candace instinctively leaned her head on his shoulder. "...You can trust me.."

"...I'll just sound silly...", Candace denied, shaking her head.

"Candace, you're talking to the same man.. Look at me.", Heinz started before lifting her face to see his so she could see he wasn't lying. "You, my dear, are talking to the very same man, that tried making a disco ball out of a chandelier."

Candace gave a weak smile at this, though she didn't seem convinced.

"I tried making an egg beater out of a toaster!", Heinz went on, starting to laugh at himself. "And you KNOW that one!"

Candace giggled a bit.

"I'll give you something more recent.", Robert interjected, causing the two to turn to face him. "Weren't you the one that built the blow-itself-upinator? A machine that blows itself up?"

Doof's face flushed an embarrassed red and Candace couldn't help but giggle some more.

"...RIIIGHT...", Heinz nodded. "See? You wanna talk about crazy, hey for some people, it's a fad!"

"I understand..", Candace nodded. "It's just...well... Well would you believe me if I said Phineas likes to build things? ...on a daily basis?"

"Well sure, I can understand that!", Heinz laughed a bit. "He's got to have some of ME, right? What sort of things does he build?"

"...Well.. See, that's where everyone thinks I'm crazy.", Candace said, looking doubtful again. "He and Ferb build something different every day."

"Well name a few.", Doof shrugged. "And I'll rate your craziness."

"...Could you believe they built a franchise out of a lemonade stand?", Candace asked. "That went all over town with posters and fliers and t-shirts and crazy fans with their logo painted on them?"

"...That sounds plausible.", Heinz nodded. "I can see that happening. Yes."

"...Can you believe that they traveled through time WITHOUT using their imaginations? They LITERALLY and REALLY dragged me through time? Forwards and back?", Candace tested.

"Isn't there a time machine down in the museum?", Heinz asked.

Candace's eyes widened a bit, hearing her dad so far believing her.

"...Alright... Can you believe that they built a ROLLER COASTER?"

"...What? In their backyard?", Heinz asked.

"In their backyard, their neighbor's backyard, and all through downtown.", Candace added on and as soon as Heinz's face contorted to confusion, she sighed, buried her face in her hands, and leaned back on the couch in defeat. "And I just lost you..."

"Wh-? No!", Doof exclaimed. "Candace, you didn't lose me! I was just wondering how on earth they managed to get Linda's permission!"

Candace suddenly shot straight up and turned full on to her father. Were her ears deceiving her?

"I mean if it was ME and I was hearing all this, they'd be SO, unbelievably _SO_, SO-SO-SO-_SO_ _SOOOO_ **BUSTED**.", Heinz said, making Candace's jaw drop. "That's not only an amazing feat from kids, but that's incredibly dangerous! Any part of it could've broken and they could've broken every bone in their bodies! How on earth does Linda allow them to do this?! I mean, I know she's not the brightest but I thought for SURE after looking at ME all these years-!"

He stopped in mid sentence as he noticed Candace breaking down in a fit of tears. His hair stood on end in alarm. Had he gone too far? Was he still hurting her?

"C..Candace?", he began quietly before being locked in a tight embrace as Candace continued to cry on his shoulder.

She tried to speak between sobs, but nothing was discerned. Doof simply hugged her back, hoping he wasn't in the wrong here, and tried to comfort her as best as he could. After a moment, noticing she wasn't pushing him away, he hugged her tighter, brought the teenage girl up onto his lap, and gently rocked them back and forth, soothingly shushing her and stroking her hair.

"Shhhh... shh-shh-shh..", he crooned before quietly singing. "...You are my sunshine... My only sunshine.."

Candace offered a laugh, though it seemed to come out as a sob, hearing the song being sung. Just like when she was five and she hugged him even tighter as she tried to sing with him.

"You make me happy...when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you... Please don't take...my sunshine away...", they quietly sang together.

Candace seemed calmer and Heinz allowed her to back up and wipe away the excess tears. Once Candace could clearly see him past the tears, she smiled so happily, so brightly, the man's heart melted to see it after so long.

"...They...never...EVER...had Mom's permission.", Candace finally admitted, making Doof's smile falter.

"...They...?"

"They...NEVER had Mom's permission.", Candace repeated, gaining a bit more confidence in this as she shook her head. "Nope. Not once. Not ever! They never, ever, ever-ever-ever-ever-ever-ever, NEVER in a million years! AND MOM DOESN'T EVEN KNOW THEY DO IT!"

Now she was angry. Bright red in the face from fury as she stood up, screaming more at the heavens than at her father. But with her dad in the room at present, he nearly choked on his own breath.

"SHE-!?", he sputtered, trying to not die from gasping and screaming at the same time.

"NOPE!", Candace turned on him now, a manic smile plastered on her face from the excitement of finally, after lo these many years, having someone who believes her. "She doesn't know! She thinks I'm crazy when I try to tell her! And DAD! HA! My step-father! The man who has married my mom and spawned the second FREAK-GENIUS of a brother, ENCOURAGES IT! And WHY? Well mainly because, HE'S BRITISH! HE DOESN'T CARE HOW DANGEROUS IT IS! HE'S TOO ENGLISH TO EVEN NOTICE! And that's NOT me saying that I hate him! Either of them! BUT COME ON!"

"Whoa. Okay. Candace, sweetie. Calm down a bit.", Doof began, standing up, though his legs shook madly underneath him from fear.

He managed to place his hands on her shoulders, stopping the stomping she's been doing with her rant, but the girl underneath continued to shake and hyperventilate from the growing excitement.

"Yes, Candace. I believe you.", Heinz nodded but then shook his head in confusion. "But how on earth does Linda NOT know?"

Candace's smile was gone and she heaved a long sigh before shaking her head and saying, "I don't know... I've tried. I've tried everything I could. I promised you I would always look out for Phineas and make sure he was okay! And every time, EVERY TIME I bring Mom to see it.. POOF!", she snapped her fingers to emphasize. "It's gone! Did it explode? Did a celebrity buy and whisk it away? Is it invisible? Did it just suddenly disappear? Did the earth open up underneath it, swallowing the thing whole? I don't know! It's GONE! Everything! Everything they ever do!"

"EVERYTHING?", Doof asked in slight surprise.

"Well everything except their helmet-head-shaped weirdo things!", Candace groaned, taking off her own. "The stupid helmet things that even Mom approves of wearing, thinking Dad made them!"

Heinz and Robert had to exchange surprised glances, seeing Candace take off what looked like her head at first.

"...That's just scary.", Robert remarked.

"...Honey.. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help support you in all this.", Heinz said, sitting on the couch with Candace once again.

Candace sighed and shook her head, finally calming herself down.

"Dad, you couldn't help it...", she said. "...If anything, I wish Mom would apologize for lying to me all these years..."

Heinz gave her one last hug and then with a satisfied sigh, the two smiled once more.

"So. Where IS Phineas?", he asked.

Candace sighed again, her smile fading.

"...I don't know.", she finally admitted.

"...You don't?", Heinz asked.

"Nope..", Candace shook her head. "He and Ferb and their little friends ran off to find their pet platypus, Perry, and they asked me to keep Mom at bay and-"

"Whoa whoa, Candace!", Heinz said with a series of other halting noises. "...Did you say, 'pet platypus Perry'?"

"Yeah? Oh. Yeah. We have a pet platypus at home named Perry.", Candace explained.

"...Perry the Platypus?", Doof repeated, glancing sideways at Robert.

"Well, his full name is Bartholomew Perry Flynn-Fletcher, but yeah. We thought he died recently from some random ailment but Phineas suddenly came up to me and started to say that he was alive and he and Ferb are going to go find him.", Candace explained with a shrug. "And knowing them, they're probably right although I have NO clue who's platypus they buried in the backyard."

"...Well that's a huge coincidence!", Heinz exclaimed. "My nemesis is a platypus who's also named Perry the Platypus! Of course though he'd never have a dorky first name like Bartholomew."

"Wait.. You fight a platypus named Perry?", Candace asked.

"Yes! He's a secret agent, actually.", Doof explained. "And we fight cause- well... Well actually, I guess since all the secrets are being blown, I might as well start from the beginning. Back when your mom and I were in high-school, we actually went on a date. Just the one time really, but she encouraged me that if she became a pop star, I should try to take over the Tri-State Area."

"That's real weird.", Candace said. "Especially considering the fact that she WAS a pop star and you HAVE taken over the Tri-State Area."

"Yeah, well I've only taken over the Tri-State Area recently.", Doof said with a casual shrug. "Anyway, I had dropped the whole desire of wanting to take over the Tri-State Area and in our adult hood, we met up again and started to raise a family. You and Phineas. But then after your mother kicked me out, I was forced to live with your Uncle Robert again-"

"Much to my disapproval and surprise.", Robert interjected with a teasing smirk.

"ANYWAY.", Heinz said with a roll of his eyes, exasperated at the memory of Robert's reaction when he showed up at his doorstep. "After living with Uncle Robert a while, about up to the time of your birthday, I've figured there was only one way your mom would take me back. If I proved to be a successful man and took over the Tri-State Area like I promised her when we were teenagers!"

"Call it bad influence, but I've been a large help in this part.", Robert went on to explain, walking over to the duo as he talked before resting his arms on the back of the couch, slouching while doing so. "I was the one who convinced, showed the ropes to, and greatly encouraged your dad in being a part of the early stages of the evil club I was a part of. Being evil, our main goal was to take over the Tri-State Area in our own fashions and manners. At the time we weren't really an organization, more like a discombobulated chat-room online.."

"But the government DID have an organization.", Doof picked up. "The Organization Without a Cool Acronym or, 'Owca' for short. Every agent in this organization is an animal. All sorts of animals. From a-z and everything in between. Every agent is assigned a nemesis. Someone whom they fight specifically to counter-act their evil doing and uphold the law and blah blah blah. Yeah. Owca's the good guys. I joined the bad guys. Well MY nemesis is Perry the Platypus. A small, blue, furry platypus name Perry that's actually the top of the entire O.W.C.A.. Every day, I build an inator or something to help me either defeat my nemesis or take over the Tri-State Area. And every day, Perry comes over and we chat and we fight and he stops me. We've been doing this for about the last three years."

"Hm. Oddly enough, that's about the most normal thing I've ever heard all Summer long in relevance to my family.", Candace noted. "But three years? That's pretty close. OUR Perry was adopted into our family about 5 years back. And aside from that, just to check, you're not ACTUALLY evil, are you Dad?"

"Not as evil as your Uncle Robert.", Bloodpudding chuckled.

"Well.. It's a uh.. It's an odd balance. I'm JUST evil enough to be part of our recently congregated organization, the L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N., but I'm not REALLY evil or anything.", Heinz shrugged.

"L-O-V... Your evil organization is called 'Lovemuffin'?", Candace asked, rabbit-trailing a moment.

Doof and Rob's faces both flushed bright red for a moment before Heinz sighed, closing his eyes temporarily.

"...We're working on that.", he replied. "But back to topic."

"Actually, Heinz. May I ask Candace a question?", Robert asked.

"Shoot.", they both said at the same time before smiling at one another. "JINX!"

Rob chuckled and went on to say, "Candy. How long has your platypus been sick?"

"Um.. For about the last three days. He died today. Why?", Candace asked.

"Well that's about the time that Heinz here just banned his nemesis from the entire Tri-State Area.", Bloodpudding stated. "Which is... pretty big for a coincidence..."

"Rob, seriously. You're not ACTUALLY thinking that HER Perry the Platypus is MY Perry the Platypus, are you?", Doof asked with half a laugh.

"Heinz I don't mean to doubt you or anything, but do you actually KNOW who Perry the Platypus' host family is?"

"Host family?", Candace asked.

"Yeah. A family that every agent is assigned to to keep under cover in Owca.", Heinz quickly explained. "But what are the odds that your family is HIS family?"

"Well let's ponder this a moment..", Robert began, pacing back and forth. "Two platypuses named Perry both who leave the Tri-State Area in some form or another on the same date, one because he only had four days to pack up his things and move out and the other because he was sick and died. Except he didn't die.", he stopped walking and turned to face the other two. "He's missing. Simply, yet inexplicably, missing. Right, Candace?"

"Well... well yeah but.. Well then, where is he?", she asked, turning to her father who was just as dumbfounded as she was.

"I-I don't know!", said Heinz, feeling rather put on the spot. "But hey, we don't even know if they ARE the same platypuses."

"There's only one way to find out.", said Dr. Bloodpudding. "Hey, Norm!"

"Yes, Dr. Bloodpudding?", said Norm as he came over.

"What's he gonna do?", asked Doofenshmirtz doubtfully. "Cook eggs?"

"Well, being your secretary, I actually READ Norm's manual.", Robert retorted causing Heinz to sink into his seat a bit. "As it turns out, he can track DNA. If your pet is going where Perry the Platypus is going, they're probably the same.". Robert walked back to his desk with a proud smile.

Doof thought it over for a moment. Could it be true? It seemed plausible enough and Heinz soon found himself smiling.

"Well done, Robert!", the man congratulated. "I'm impressed!"

"Thank you, Sir.", said the secretary easily after seating himself he asked, "Can I have a raise?"

"No.", Doof answered flatly. "Candace, would you happen to have your pet's hairbrush with you or something?"

"Pfft, no.", scoffed the teenage girl. "...But there might be some fur on my shirt!".

She began searching her shirt and once she found a hair, she gave it to Norm. The robot had ejected a small dish from what was painted to look like his chest and Candace placed the hair in it. While the DNA sample was being scanned, Norm's eyes lit up, flashed colors and then soon returned to normal until a screen came out of his face.

"DNA scanning complete!", Norm reported. "Match, Jeremy Johnson. DNA tracking of Jeremy Johnson!"

A picture of the young teenaged male appeared on screen and Candace felt her face flush at this. Doofenshmirtz folded his arms across his chest and looked over suspiciously at his daughter while the screen changed to uselessly charting out a GPS lock on to the DNA sample's origin.

"Who's Jeremy Johnson?", he asked, raising an eyebrow at Candace.

"Nnoooobody...", Candace said uneasily, knowing the typical fight about a father and who all his daughter is allowed to date.

"Well then why is that nnoooobody's hair on your-?"

"Here, Norm! Try this hair!", Candace said, holding up another strand.

She quickly put it in before her dad could say another word and after a few seconds, the screen reappeared.

"DNA scanning complete!", Norm reported. "Match, Perry the Platypus."

On the screen came two pictures of Perry, both the same. One as the mindless and beloved meat brick Candace knew and one as the anthropomorphic and fedora-wearing secret agent that Doofenshmirtz knew. Everyone looked at each other in surprise.

"DNA tracking of Perry the Platypus!", Norm went on to say, the screen changing to a GPS lock of the platypus traveling on the outskirts of Danville.

"Holy inator...", Heinz breathed. "...HE'S ONLY THAT FAR?! Geez! For a secret agent, I thought for sure he'd be far away from here! Sheesh!"

"Heinz!", Robert scolded.

"WHAT?! For some reason, my nemesis belonging to Candace's family, now that I come to think of it, doesn't really seem to surprise me! I think I might've thought that possibility before, you know as a JOKE, but still.."

"That's not what I'm scolding you about!", Robert sighed, getting up from the desk now. "You found out Perry the Platypus' host family! And his family is YOUR family!"

Heinz stared his his colleague for a moment, trying to decipher what he was getting at. When it finally dawned on him and his face fell into a look of horror.

"...Candace, we gotta find Phineas.", Heinz said, turning to her.

"What? Why? I'm pretty sure Phineas can handle it himself.", Candace shrugged. "He's a lot smarter than you would guess."

"No, Candace. We HAVE to find him!", Heinz said more urgently. "Perry the Platypus is part of a secret organization! If Phineas finds out about him and Owca, I don't know what's gonna happen! They could wipe all his memory of the platypus for all I can guess!"

Candace's eyes widen and for the moment, she didn't want to believe this.

"...They.. They can't! ...Can they?", she asked fearfully.

"Knowing Major Monogram and his little intern, I don't really doubt ANYTHING about them.", Heinz said with a small nod.

After a small moment, Candace and Doof quickly began to head out of City Hall with Norm right behind them after Candace said, "Let's stop by my place first."

"Rob, you're in charge!", Heinz called back.

Rob watched the duo run out and drive away in Norm, promising he'd keep things under control. After a moment of watching them drive away, as soon as they were out of sight, he quickly dashed in with a small evil chuckle. He came back into the office, sat in Doof's large chair, kicked his feet up, grabbed the phone and immediately began to make a call.

"Hello? Yes I'd like to place an order...", Robert began casually.

"Bloodpudding?", Rodney said, coming in.

"Hold that.", Blood began before pulling the phone away and covering the bottom of it with his hand. "What?"

"What do you think you are doing?!", Rodney scowled.

"Doofenshmirtz says I'm in charge, conditionally!", Bloodpudding with a wide evil grin.

"Oh gosh...", Rodney rolled his eyes with a groan. "Now there's an actual GENIUS in charge!"

"BWA HA HA HA HA HA!", Bloodpudding cackled in delight for the sheer joke of it before shooing Rodney out. "Now get back to work, slave or I'll demean you to losing everything.", he turned back to the phone as Rodney left the room, a wide smile on the secretary's face. "Hello? Yes, I'm still here. Sorry about that. Yes, I'd like to order a large pizza..."

* * *

_Amber: I love Robert. X3 Oh, for those of you who mentioned, yes, we changed the summary. We kinda thought it'd be better, what do you guys think?_


	7. Chapter 7

_Laura: We don't mean to keep you from the story, but we would like to point out that we appreciate the compliments to Robert, and would like to say for the record that anyone can use this character. He's actually a part of the show, we don't own him or anything. (You know, better say it now before there's any confusion. XP) Curious about where he was in the show, you can see him in "The Bully Code" and "Nerdy Dancing". ^^_

_Amber: His EPIC debut! 8D_

_Laura: He only said two lines, twit. XD_

* * *

Candace was walking into the house when she happened to pass by Linda and Lawrence, still sitting on the couch with their happy, ignorant lives.

"Hey Candace.", Linda greeted. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Um...", Candace began. She wasn't sure if she should say she was running off with her biological father. She soon put on a smile, pretending like everything's normal. "I'm going to the mall with Stacy, and Jenny invited me over to a sleepover for a few days. Is that okay?"

"Alright, Sweetie. Make sure you pack well enough.", Linda smiled, buying the lie.

Candace quickly dashed upstairs, got a backpack ready with extra clothes, pillows and blankets and her Ducky Momo toy for good luck, and headed out the door. When she came outside, she saw that Doof had parked the robot car a few blocks away and she came up.

"Hey. Why so far?", she asked as she got in.

"Um...", Heinz shrugged. "I.. I didn't want to catch any attention."

"I understand.", Candace said with a smile.

They drove off to Heinz's place. Heinz grabbed a few supplies, including his grappling hook, and made their way to find Phineas and Ferb.

Meanwhile, with Phineas and Ferb, in all honesty, everyone was completely bored. The outskirts of Danville held nothing but desert for the most part and there was no traffic. They didn't have inside movies to watch. The most anyone could do was use their imagination, talk, and count how many tumble weeds they passed.

"...Alright! I'll give it!", Buford finally exclaimed, breaking the long silence. "You guys have topped your most boring day ever! Can we PLEASE do something exciting?!"

"Buford, quiet!", Isabella ordered in a harsh whisper. "Phineas JUST fell asleep!"

"Well why should I care?", Buford asked.

"Because if you don't start caring, I'M gonna make you!", Isabella threatened.

"Buford, Phineas and I have hardly had any sleep in the last few days.", Ferb explained, rubbing his own eyes. "I'M having a hard time staying awake.. I'm so tired, I'm actually starting to blather. If you dare wake up Phineas, I will PERSONALLY teach you the fine art of permanent silence..."

The last of his words were growled menacingly and Buford easily got the message as did everyone else. The only other noise made was by Phineas who moaned softly in his sleep, his face twitching into a wince as he turned around in his seat a bit. Isabella quietly worried if Phineas' dream was a nightmare as she watched him from the seat behind her lover and she carefully leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead for the quick moment.

"Hey... where's Perry?", Phineas wondered aloud as he looked about.

Ever since Perry had fallen sick with his mysterious illness, Phineas had been exceedingly concerned for his pet; for his family. Phineas was turning his head and soon enough his entire body, this way and that, looking for his platypus. Phineas could feel himself starting to panic before his eyes finally laid on the monotreme. Phineas felt overjoyed, relieved, shocked, and terrified all at the same time, as he saw Perry carefully, yet mindlessly all the same, balancing on what looked like a tight-rope three, maybe four, yards away.

"P-Perry!", Phineas called out, in alarm. "Perry, come back!"

But Perry paid no heed to his owner. Phineas knew that he had to go out onto the wire if he wanted to get Perry back. Taking a deep breath, he carefully placed one foot on the wire. After finding balance, he moved his other foot forward. Phineas tried to stay calm, but he knew the dangers he and Perry were risking. If either one of them fell off to the right side of the wire, they would unquestionably die. But if they fell on the left, they would live. Phineas gulped as he continued to slowly walk the fine line between life and death.

When Phineas was only about two feet from his goal, Perry stopped walking. Phineas also stopped in his tracks, surprised to see his platypus turn around and focus both of his eyes on him.

"Good-bye, Phineas.", the dark brown eyes seemed to say, even though the monotreme they belonged to showed little emotion.

Perry turned his head to stare curiously at the dark depths to his right, he looked as though he was deep in thought.

"Perry...?", said the boy, softly, in slight confusion. What was his platypus thinking?

Suddenly Perry simply allowed himself to fall into death.

"PERRY!", Phineas cried, immediately lunging out to catch him.

But before Phineas could reach him, Perry wrapped his tail around the wire and pulled himself up, defying not only death, but also Phineas.

Time seemed to slow down momentarily for the red-haired ten year-old as he turned around and stared with wide eyes at the small blue platypus who spared his old friend only a glance before turning away and easily choosing life over him.

Phineas was so shocked that he literally couldn't think, let alone speak. He almost felt like he couldn't breathe, but that was probably because he was dying. As he fell further and further into the darkness, Phineas struggled to find words for thoughts. After a moment, he finally managed to ask himself, "Why did Perry do that?" and "How long has Perry been smarter than I knew?" "Why did he lie to me?" "Why did he trick me?"

"...Did he ever care about me?", Phineas asked aloud, using the last of his breath.

He closed his eyes and felt himself falling eternally asleep, before opening his eyes and finding himself awake in the car with a gasp.

Ferb looked over in concern at his brother. When Phineas had grasped his surroundings, he gave a small, reassuring smile to his brother.

"I-I'm fine.", he said. "Just a uh...a weird dream."

"You wanna sleep some more?", Ferb offered.

"I...", Phineas began before his eyes caught sight of something. "Hey look guys!"

The kids behind them craned their necks to look better out the front window to see a large truck in front of them.

"It's a truck.", Buford shrugged. "So what?"

"No, no. Look a bit on the sides.", Phineas said, shaking his head. "It's a LOT of trucks!"

"So?", Isabella asked.

"Doesn't that seem a bit odd?", Phineas asked. "They're all the same trucks. Normally if you saw more than one, there's only about two, they're from different companies, and they're parked in grocery parking lots."

"That is true.", Baljeet said, craning his neck a bit more. "And what brand would call themselves, 'Owca'?"

"Maybe they're a new Japanese brand?", Isabella asked.

"Still.. It's pretty odd.", Phineas noted. "And the GPS is saying that Perry's right in front of us."

"Poacher...!", Buford suggested in a sing-songy voice. "Your platypus, locked up with other platypi in the back of the truck!"

"BUFORD!", Isabella, Baljeet, Ferb and Phineas all exclaimed, a couple scowling.

"I'M JUST SAYIN'!", Buford said in defense.

"Either way, we may wanna back up a bit.", Ferb noted, easing up on the gas with his remote. "Don't wanna make it look like we're tailing them."

The car pulled back enough to see the truck only from a distance. Phineas took a turn at driving, allowing Ferb to catch up on some much needed rest. A thousand things were running through the red-head's mind and for some reason, Phineas couldn't help but feel like it was something more grave than just a poacher. More important. Something he should already know about Perry, but doesn't anyway much to his paternal dismay in relevance to his pet. Whatever it was that was worrying Phineas, this wasn't a first. It happened every day. Every time Perry disappeared. Phineas would always feel this twinge in him, "guilt" as he labeled it as he wasn't sure what else it could be, that made him slightly worry about his platypus, wondering where he was and if he was alright being there.

As the day wore on, the trucks would stop, one or two of them pulling over every so often. What was happening, none of the kids could see nor dared closer to get a better inspection. Once in a while, they would pull up into a gas station and load up, but Phineas and Ferb kept their distance, pulling up after they left and also filling their car.

Day turned to night and the trucks kept going while the agents inside got ready to sleep. Pillows and blankets were brought out and distributed and everyone tried to make themselves comfortable on the cold metal floors. Perry found himself staring at a black ceiling with Pinky to his right, Penny not far from his left, and Peter still hidden away in his corner. Of course though, Penny wasn't entirely aware that Perry was so close because of the darkness or else she would've moved away. Perry knew though from his more sensitive electrical-reception.

As the agents laid there quietly in the darkness, all of them were consumed into one thought: the families they love. But the silence kept until Derek the Dog spoke.

_"'...I miss my host family..'"_, he began simply with a small whine.

_"'Think we all do, Amigo.'"_, Pinky agreed.

_"'I concur.'"_, Cheri the Cat said.

_"'I miss the way they used to give me a treat right before bed.'"_, Reginald the Rat said.

_"'I miss the way they would ruffle my feathers a bit before they went to sleep.'"_, Ollie the Owl agreed.

_"'I miss how Isabella talked to me like I was human.'"_, Pinky smiled a bit.

_"'I even miss it how Doofenshmirtz was always worried about me when I tried running away and loved on me when he caught me again.'"_, Penny said. _"'And he's not even my official owner anymore...'"_

Perry heaved a sad sigh before saying, _"'I miss the way they would say 'Oh, there you are Perry', every time I came into the backyard. I miss Phineas and Ferb's crazy adventures and fun ideas. I miss snuggling up to them at night to make them feel safe. I miss hearing Candace call me a meatbrick even. I miss having fun with them and I miss those times they came so close they almost found out my secret identity. But what I miss the most, is the day they found out my secret identity, found Doofenshmirtz, went to another dimension with me, saved a whole Tri-State Area, twice, and I was finally able to tell them just how much I trusted them. How much they meant to me. I miss that day the most, and it's painful to know that they don't even have the slightest clue it happened...'"_

A few groans of pain and depression were heard, the others cringing in the darkness at the thoughts. It was easy to see Perry's longing to be back home and why he yelled so angrily at Monogram. Silence once again, rang through the truck. Until Perry broke it once more.

_"'And I'm sorry, but I DO miss Doofenshmirtz.'"_, he admitted with a shrug.

This brought up plenty of discussion from the others.

_"'Ah! Yeah! We know we know!'"_, agents here and there were saying. _"'RIGHT! Only YOU could miss him!'"_

_"'Well I'm sorry, but I do!'"_, Perry answered. _"'He at least cared about me and about what he did. You know, checking to make sure if I was alright. That I had a way to escape. Little buffet's sat out for when we would just talk and hang out.'"_

_"'I swear, Amigo.'"_, Pinky began with a chuckle. _"'If I didn't know you better, I'd dare to say you and Doofenshmirtz were LOVERS instead of enemies!'"_

Everyone erupted in laughter as Perry's face burned red.

_"'IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!'"_, Perry chattered with obvious embarrassment.

_"'Ha ha ha! Perry, I've seen you two!'"_, Penny giggled. _"'It is SO like that sometimes!'"_

_"'Who wears the pants?'"_, another agent asked.

_"'Doofenshmirtz.'"_, Penny, Pinky, and Peter answered in unison.

_"'I'M the one that wears the pants and it's NOT that kind of a relationship!'"_, Perry hissed, now sitting up.

_"'Oh really? Cause I seem to recall DOOF calling the shots once or twice.'"_, Penny teased, the wide, evil grin imprinted in her words. _"'Not to mention, tell us, Perry the Platypus. WHO was the one that got distracted by shoes on sale?'"_

_"'I was in Candace's body. THAT GIRL IS SERIOUSLY MESSED UP!'"_, Perry said through gritted teeth before huffing and crossing his arms.

_"'Oh come on, Perry.'"_, Peter started. _"'I'VE seen you two! Cat fighting much? I mean. Here I am. Taking an INVITATION to stop some idiot's scheme and WHO'S the one that leaves in a huff?!'"_

_"'Oh shut up you stupid panda! I'm just... territorial like that!'"_, Perry explained with an indignant tone. _"'I happen to actually ENJOY fighting my nemesis and happen to actually FOLLOW the Owca rules that it's ONE NEMESIS per AGENT! Not all this criss-crossing in between, one nemesis fighting two agents!'"_

_"'So when HE willingly came to Seattle...?'"_, Peter asked slyly, the smile on his face was seen as the agents' eyes adjusted to the darkness and Perry returned it with a scowl.

_"'He, was SO busted!'"_, Perry growled, cracking his knuckles as he clenched his fist tightly.

_"'GIRLFRIEND!'"_, the other agents rang out in a sing-song voice.

_"'NO!'"_, Perry countered, flailing his arms angrily. _"'We hate each other! We do! We hate each other...with a passion. I'll say it like that! We hate each other, but we're not so stuck up that we just ignore one another! He at least ACKNOWLEDGES me as a person and not just another animal!'"_

_"'So does this make me the rebound or what?'"_, Peter asked with a teasing grin.

_"'The buttinsky!'"_, Perry growled, smacking the panda as he threw one of his two pillows.

_"'Aah! Hey! No throwing pillows!'"_, Peter snapped.

There were a few laughs before Peter sat up and threw his pillow. It hit Penny, smack in the face, just as she was sitting up. Perry looked at Penny's surprised expression then turned on Peter, standing up with his other pillow in hand.

"Oh it's ON!"

_"'PILLOW FIGHT!'"_, Pinky cried out in excitement, jumping up himself with a pillow in hand.

And that's when the chaos began. As Perry and Peter dueled it out, pillow vs. pillow, everyone else were also smacking and whacking and throwing pillows at one another. Clarissa managed to hit Tony the Turtle so hard, the pillow actually busted, causing small feathers to fly every where and make the chicken gape in horror. Cherri and Derek were soon at it like Obi One Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, sound affects and all as they clashed, their pillows smacking into one another continuously and perfectly timed. Pinky and Penny fought against one another, using both pillows as a sword and a shield like knights. Perry and Peter's fight soon took a turn to seriousness as they began using more secret agent tactics to take out their fighting. They even lost their pillows and simply began fighting, fist to fist.

Amongst all the mayhem however, everything was very quiet and seldom at the front of the truck as Francis tried hard to keep his eyelids up and not let his eyes cross.

"You want me to drive a bit?", Monty offered as he took an ear-bud out, seeing his dad acting tired.

"NO.", Francis said very firmly, and very much awake. "Not after that one time..."

"It slipped out from underneath me! I had no control over that.", Monty groaned before replacing the ear-bud. "Stupid motor bike..."

In another car, Candace and Heinz were still driving, following Norm's tracking on Perry's signal. Candace didn't have a DNA sample of Phineas or Ferb, but following Perry, they were sure to find the Flynn-Fletcher brothers soon. As opposed to the Monograms, Heinz and Candace's conversation was very animate.

"I'm. JUST. Asking!", Doof was clarifying. "I'm not gonna FREAK or anything! WHO is Jeremy Johnson?!"

"AH! FINE! He's my boyfriend!", Candace groaned, finally caving in.

"Alright! Fine!", Heinz groaned equally. "That's ALL I wanted to know! See, Candy? I'm NOT freaking out or anything! Thank you for finally telling me. Alright. THAT explains his hair on your shirt. ...I'm cool now."

Candace sighed before saying, "Alright.. Fine.."

When the two noticed the time, they pulled over, agreeing to rest for the night before Heinz drove them off the road and hoping that Phineas and Ferb were doing the same. Candace leaned her chair back and curled up in her seat, keeping her back to her father. She didn't want to admit it, but she was actually very worried. More worried than she's ever been. She was practically running away from home with the father she was supposed to have denounce, on a search-and-rescue mission for her little brother whom she promised said father that she would always look out for no matter what. Yes, while it may not seem like it, all those times Candace was yelling her head off at Phineas and Ferb or screaming to get her mom's attention, looking like a maniac and schizophrenic just cause she didn't have proof her brothers built a roller coaster, it was all because she was trying to look out for them. Not just for her dad either but for themselves! From all the danger that each invention always held in store for not only them, but their little friends as well. She still remembered the very first stunt Phineas tried to pull. He was only 3 years-old, but his genius was already showing...at least to Candace.

When Phineas was 3 and Candace was 8, the young boy had noticed his sister's mood swinging from normally cheerful, to depression. It wasn't long after he had told her of their dad's death but Phineas hadn't known what was the cause of it. At the very most, he knew his sister was sad, and made it his responsibility to change it. He had built a literal house of pillows and sheets, a fort, to make her happy. Soft, bouncy pillows for a floor. Blankets for the walls. There was even a second floor with a sheet for the flooring. 15 year-old Candace could still feel her heart pound as she remembered Phineas falling through that second floor. She shivered as she mentally saw him. This tiny three year-old, staring up wide-eyed in a daze as she tried to make sure he was alright. She feared he had gotten hurt or that he died or something.

'_MOMMY!_', Candace heard the cry in her memory. '_MOMMY! HELP! IT'S PHINEAS!_'

Of course, by the time Candace had dragged Linda to see what happened to Phineas, the fort was reduced to the laundry and Phineas had thrown off the blankets, laughing and smiling all the while. And of course, Candace was the one to get in trouble after she got so mad at her little brother for scaring her half to death and hit him too hard with a pillow. She wouldn't complain at the moment, but it did give her reason to be on her toes about Phineas' antics. Doubly so when Ferb joined the party. Candace sighed a bit as she curled up in the seat.

"...Are you alright?", Heinz asked, hearing his daughter's soft sigh.

"...I'm sorry I couldn't keep a better eye on them...", Candace admitted sadly.

Much to the teenager's surprise, this earned a small laugh from the other.

"Candace, you shouldn't say you're sorry.", her dad replied. "You have just as much of a reason to be sorry about as I do for starting this whole mess to begin with."

The teenager couldn't help but smile as she turned over to face Doof and say, "But if you didn't do what you did, I wouldn't have gotten to see you again."

"So if I'm left blameless than so are you."

Candace giggled again and she could see her dad smiling at her in the dim light. Reassured, Candace soon found sleep.

The children however, mostly didn't. Phineas yawned a bit as he tried to focus on the road. Buford, Ferb, and Baljeet were already asleep and he promised his bro he'd still drive. If they stopped before the trucks did, chances are they'd lose sight of them. But Phineas hoped the drivers of the trucks would pull over soon. The road began to blur in front of his vision.

"Phineas?", Isabella asked, leaning up from her seat. "Want me to take over for a bit?"

"Hm? Oh no.. No.", Phineas shook his head, though the drowsy tone was still in his voice. "No, Isabella. You go ahead and get your rest. I've got it."

"Alright... You sure?", she asked.

Phineas flashed her another one of his brilliant, optimistic, and overall reassuring smiles before saying, "It'll be fine. You get your rest."

Isabella trusted him and leaned back in her seat, trying to be comfortable. Suddenly the car jerked and she sat straight up in alarm. Both she and her secret crush were equally wide-eyed and full of fear as what happened settled on their minds, and they looked at each other to convey the understanding.

"...Maybe I should...", Isabella started to hold her hand out.

"Yeah, okay.", Phineas said, handing it over with a sheepish grin.

"Thank you.", she nodded. "You get some sleep. I'll be alright."

"Okay. Feel free to wake me up if you need a break.", Phineas said.

"I will.", Isabella nodded.

Phineas curled up in his seat and Isabella situated herself to keep a steady eye on the road. She had to resist giggling though, after Phineas had fallen asleep with a small snore. He really was just too cute and it made her more than happy to have this time with him.


	8. Chapter 8

"Welcome to Montana!", Buford exclaimed as the kids continued their drive down the road.

"What?", Phineas asked curiously.

"There was a sign that said, 'Welcome to Montana'.", Buford explained, pointing behind him. "So I welcomed us to Montana."

"Wow.. Talk about distance!", Isabella noted.

"Come on. Say it with me.", Buford encouraged. "POA-"

"BUFORD!", everyone shouted warningly.

"Sorry!", Buford groaned.

"...Actually... guys? I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to wonder...", Phineas began with an uneasy look.

"What?", they gasped.

"Well think about it! Why else are these people going ALL THE WAY to Montana with a platypus?", Phineas asked.

"THANK YOU!", Buford said.

"Let's just wait and see.", Isabella reassured. "This could be a HUGE misunderstanding."

"Yes! Why would anyone even steal a duck-billed platypus?", Baljeet asked. "I mean it is not like Perry is the Australian cousin, the beaver-tailed platypus or anything."

"Is there really a difference?", Buford asked.

"Beaver-tailed platypuses are brown and a rare breed.", Phineas quickly explained. "The duck-billed is more common though, blue, and they're raised here in America as opposed to Australia."

"Well maybe they just have a preference to duck-bills.", Buford shrugged.

"Whatever the reason is, we should probably find a way to change our clothes.", Phineas mentioned. "It seems like they're going to be heading North and it's only going to get colder."

"And...how would you propose we do that?", Baljeet asked with uncertainty.

"Well...", Phineas began, starting to think up designs for a machine that would automatically change clothes.

Suddenly Ferb handed over the steering to his brother and got up from his seat. He leaned over to the back, reached under Isabella's seat where the backpacks were, and brought out his. He unzipped the backpack and began handing out clothes to everyone else.

"Oh cool!", Phineas smiled. "So THAT'S what you were doing in the attic."

"Just in case.", Ferb shrugged as he passed an old pair of Candace's Winter clothes to Isabella.

Unfortunately, the only one who had any trouble in fitting into clothes was Buford, but rolling back the sleeves on the old sweater Lawrence wore did just fine.

The next time the trucks pulled over to get gas, the kids quickly took turns running into the gas station's bathrooms and changed. But it wasn't long after they had started to drive off again, that the trucks pulled up to a different parking lot, just a bit outside of town. The parking lot, for a train station.

"What on earth...?", Isabella asked, seeing the large station before them as they parked.

"...Well.. We better go in.", Phineas said, looking back at the tracking device. "Cause this says Perry's boarding a train right now."

Not just any train either. A special, governmental train that no one else will board. And as Perry made his way through the cars, he had to give it the props of not being a bad train either. With much needed sleep, mostly given and a more comfortable place to ride in, the platypus soon picked a room and settled back.

"'Well it beats the back of the truck, I'll say that.'", Perry said to himself, stretching back.

He was unaware that his owners were passing by his window right at that moment, trying to keep inconspicuous as they looked around the train. With backpacks slung over their shoulders, they turned a corner in the station to find a few workers moving large cages from carts onto the back of the train. As the kids spied, they could see parts of some animals, hidden behind the bars of the cage, not knowing the animals were agents using their mindless tactic while they appeared to be boarding on the train like normal pets would.

"Oh gosh...", Phineas gasped. "Guys.. I think Buford's right!"

"Really?", Isabella asked. "Are you sure, Phineas?"

"Um... Isabella?", Baljeet began, pointing out a cage where the door faced their line of sight, clearly showing a small, pink, quivering dog who appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

"PI-!"

Phineas covered Isabella's mouth to prevent her screaming as she saw her dog being boarded onto the train. The kids ducked back to avoid being spotted if they drew attention. They did get a bit of attention as Monty looked up from his work and glanced around the station a bit.

"Hey, Dad?", he asked. "Did you hear something?"

"You mean aside from the rest of the noise in a busy train station?", Francis asked sarcastically.

Monty gave a glare at his working father before starting to work again with a, "Never mind..."

As soon as the duo were finished, they loaded onto the train themselves in a different car and the kids made their way into the caboose. Once in however, the kids immediately saw that all the animals were missing from their cages.

"Pinky?", Isabella called out. "Pinky, are you in here?"

"Perry!", Phineas called out with her as the others joined in.

The kids had searched the whole car, but neither Pinky or Perry could be found. No animal was in any cage. And there wasn't even just cages for them to search in. Stacks of hay and straw and barrels of gasoline. But under every stack, behind every barrel, in every cage, no one could be found.

"But.. But Pinky was in here somewhere! I saw him!", Isabella was saying.

"Calm down, Isabella.", Phineas said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright. Maybe he's in another car."

"Should we bother to look?", Baljeet asked. "Not that I'm giving up, but what if the train starts to-"

Baljeet spoke a few seconds too late as the car suddenly jolted forward and the whole train began to pull out of the station. The kids gave a startled yelp in surprise but when they realized what had happened, it was too late. What was worse, was that the kids weren't even supposed to be on. Any one of them being caught, who knew what would happen to them?

Meanwhile, a few cars further, Perry was enjoying the space of his seat, when Pinky and Penny managed to catch up to him.

_"'Hey, Amigo!'"_, Pinky said in excitement. _"'You wouldn't believe how AWESOME the diner cart is!'"_

_"'Oh hey, Pinky. Penny.'"_, Perry sat up with a nod. _"'Awesome? How awesome is it?'"_

_"'It's only got THE best burritos ever! When did Owca ever afford for this sort of luxury?'"_, Pinky asked, flopping back on the seat next to Perry.

_"'Actually, I think it's all being paid for by the Biologically Advanced Creatures Opposing Ne'erdowells' organization.'"_, Penny noted with a shrug. _"'But I've got to give them their props. They have good grubs here.'"_

_"'Hey, you know what just occurred to me?'"_, Pinky noted, sitting back up as his ears perked up a bit. _"'The org's acronym, B-A-C-O-N. BACON!?'"_

Penny's eyes widened with this revelation before she shut them tight as she began laughing at it all with Pinky. Perry even laughed a bit himself before making his own remark.

_"'Actually, I already knew that. But what I find funny is that we're joining up with CANADIAN BACON.'"_, he joked, making his fellow agents laugh even harder, and actually managing to send Pinky to the floor.

_"'Oh! Oh! Not even that!'"_, Penny wheezed a bit, sitting back up. _"'No no...'"_

_"'ROYAL CANADIAN BACON!'"_, Perry and Penny both said at the same time, both of them breaking down into laughter at the end of it.

_"'What's so funny in here?'"_, Peter asked, over hearing the laughter as he walked by.

It wasn't until after the threesome managed to calm their hysterics and Pinky running off to a bathroom, that Peter managed to get an answer. Even he laughed at the joke of it.

_"'Oh! Oh!'"_, Penny was next to bouncing with jokes flying through her mind. _"'So does that make the animals, BACON AGENTS?'"_

_"'Ha ha ha! All ruled by the Major Bacon?'"_, Peter laughed.

_"'No! No no!'"_, Perry said with a wide smile, pausing only to build anticipation. _"'The BACON BOSS!'"_

More laughter and for once, Perry had forgotten how much his missed his family. He actually enjoyed himself and was actually starting to look forward to this new arrangement.

Meanwhile, Candace and Doofenshmirtz had also notice the kid's destination and would've hurried if they were just as prepared as Ferb was. The duo had to stop at a store in the next city they arrived in to buy appropriate clothing, a first aid, and a box of matches.

"Why matches?", Candace asked.

"You never know when you'll want matches.", Heinz chuckled a bit, tossing them in the cart. "Trust me. I KNOW."

"Oh...kay...", Candace said, slightly unsure. "Anything else?"

"Mm... A hunting knife?", Heinz asked, earning a laugh from his daughter. "...I'm serious, Candace. They're very useful."

"Oh I know.", Candace said, still chuckling. "I'm laughing though cause I would've thought you knew my family better."

She reached into her purse and soon pulled out a small, old, pocket knife.

"When Grandpa Ohio died, he gave me and Phineas a couple of his knives from his collection, saying they'd bring us good luck. Phineas has a hunter's knife. Knowing him, he didn't leave the house without it. Not if he's going some unknown location to find a family member."

"...Your grandfather always did scare me..", Heinz said as he looked at the knife uneasily.

"Perhaps if you married Mom, he wouldn't have scared you as bad.", Candace shrugged, putting it back.

"Let's just hurry up, alright?", Doof groaned, heading for the check-out as his cheeks turned red.

The kids had easily kept themselves hidden in the back of the train, each one wondering what was to happen to them and what was going to happen when they tried to rescue not only their pets, but all the animals that were captive. Cause as the situation seemed to be, they were now on a poacher's train who seemed to have a thing for poaching pets, heading possibly across the national border line where the poacher won't be caught by American law, faced with the task of not only rescuing their pets, Pinky and Perry, but all the other animals that they saw in cages. Even Buford seemed a little uneasy with what was in store for them. They didn't know how long it was that they had been traveling. None of them had watches. But it was dark outside the caboose's back door window. And snowing. For the while, the kids were actually excited to see SNOW after so long of a Summer. But after seeing this, is when they made their assumption of going into Canada.

"Well, hey!", Phineas started as they began to assume they were in Canada. "Maybe we can meet up with Ashley!"

"WHO'S Ashley?", Isabella said with an accusing tone.

"She's one of our friends online.", Phineas said.

"I doubt we would have the chance to meet her for long. She DOES seem often caught up in college homework.", Ferb noted.

"Oh. That's true."

Isabella was surprised to hear this, and settled to rest her case on the subject. But it was after it was turning dark outside, that things took a turn for the worse.

"Oh, hey. Agent P?", Monty stopped Penny in her tracks as she started to head back to Perry and Pinky. "Gertrude the Giraffe asked for some hay in the diner car but Mom's wanting to talk to me about something a few cars up. Would you mind running to the supplies in the back, help the chef out a bit, and save me a few steps?"

Penny gave her nod of approval and headed to the caboose at once. As the door knob to the caboose began to rattle, the kids quickly ducked into the hay they were sitting on top of to avoid being spotted. Penny came into the room and the kids spied from underneath the hay. Each one holding their breathes as they watched with slight fear. When did platypuses walk on their hind legs? And why is this one walking to THEM?! Penny came up and started to grab some hay when something caught her attention. Unbeknownst to the kids of a platypus' electroreception, Isabella grabbed Phineas' hand in fear, seeing this odd blond platypus come so close. The small movement was easily detected to the platypus and she masked it with a sneeze before grabbing an armful of hay and walking out of the door.

'Someone's spying on us...', she noted. 'I should alert Major Monogram.'

She delivered the hay and went straight to the major herself. After reporting what she had sensed, the major stepped to the back with her quizzically.

"We better double check.", he was saying. "Care to?"

Penny gave a nod and headed back in. The kids easily resumed their hiding positions and Penny looked about curiously. She came up to the hay stack she thought she sensed them at and peered about it curiously. There had to be something. She knew it wasn't just her. Phineas could feel his heart pounding hard as her face neared closer and closer to his. Nothing but a sheet of hay separated him and her as he stared through the small bits and strands at the duck-billed platypus.

The electricity in his neurotic system, circulating his fast heartbeat, was enough to make Penny's bill tingle, telling her of his presence. If that wasn't enough, Ferb had to bring up a hand to prevent himself from sneezing, and that just blew it to her, even without any rustling of the hay. She took a bite of hay to make it seem natural, and quickly scampered back off, allowing Ferb the perfect opportunity to finally sneeze. She didn't know how much of her they had seen, but now that she knew them, something had to be done. After stepping back out, she quickly spat out the hay, finding the taste over all disgusting, and walked back into the car Major Monogram was waiting for her in.

"Well?", he asked.

Penny gave a nod.

"How many?"

She thought it over a moment before holding up two and then three fingers.

"It's certainly none of our agents...", Monogram noted to himself. "And they're in the caboose. There's only one thing to do then."

Penny gave a quizzical look as Monogram opened the door again. Despite the cold and rushing winds, he positioned himself between the cars and leaned down. Penny's jaw dropped as the cars were disconnected and Monogram hopped back over. The inclination of the small hill they were going up was enough to give the caboose something to start heading backwards. As Monogram walked back inside with the agent, the car was already out of sight. No one was any the wiser of who exactly it was that was in there. Just as long as no one outside the organization knew of their whereabouts, it wasn't his concern for the time being.

Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet soon began to lose their footing as the car tilted backwards while it went down the hill. As the car hit the bottom of the hill, Phineas was the first thrown back into a wall only soon to find Isabella pressed up against him.

The two stared for a moment, an odd sort of tingle running through their spines before reality sat back in as the rest were thrown back with them as well as a couple of barrels of gasoline. The kids managed to dodge the rolling barrels but the car kept going, rocking them back and forth and causing a few cages to bump into the small lamp at the top of the car.

When the car finally came to a stop, Phineas looked up, slightly dizzy for a moment. He vigorously shook his head to straighten things out and looked around the trashed car.

"Everyone alright?", he asked.

"S'alright.", Buford said, sitting up.

"I think I'm okay..", Isabella said, getting up onto her knees from her spot.

Ferb gave a thumbs up from behind a few barrels.

"Can someone help me, please?", Baljeet asked as his hand waved back and forth from a pile of straw.

Buford came over and pulled him out as everyone else got to their feet.

"What on earth happened?", Isabella asked.

"We must've been disconnected from the train.", Phineas said. "I think that platypus was spying on us."

"What makes you think that?", Buford asked. "I thought platypuses don't do much."

"Well yeah, but since when were platypi's hair yellow? And why did that one walk on her hind legs? Not to mention platypuses don't eat hay.", Phineas deducted with a shake of his head on the last one. "Something weird is going on with that one and one way or another, I think we were busted."

Just then Ferb put a hand on his brother's shoulder and Phineas looked at him curiously. But then he understood. There was a sudden odd smell to the car. Everyone sniffed around a bit until Phineas and Ferb recognized it and turned their eyes onto one of the barrels that fell over. It was leaking gas. And the light was sparking above their heads. One look and they both knew what they had to do.

"Get out of the car!", Phineas suddenly exclaimed, pushing Isabella and Baljeet along as they headed to the closest door. "_NOW!_"

The kids quickly got out of the car, hopping out into the snow. Ferb landed into the snow next to Isabella and looked back at Phineas.

"Come on, Phineas!", Isabella urged.

Phineas took the jump...

_***BOOM!***_

Phineas had fortunately landed in the snow before the train's car exploded, though the impact of it made him lose his footing. He scrambled back from the intense heat of the flames, soon dragged to his feet by Ferb and Isabella.

"Phineas, are you alright?!", Isabella asked in fear.

"I-I think so...", Phineas said, wiping away at his forehead as it got hot from the explosion.

The kids backed up from the fire as more and more of the car exploded in the back. The kids backed up as far as possible and stared in shock. Well... All except one. Phineas quickly headed into the woods nearby while Baljeet turned to the others.

"I do not mean to be rude, but I'm going to say it anyway. Can we please go back now?!", Baljeet asked, shivering in the cold wind.

"Well... Phineas..? Ph-Phineas?", Isabella started to say, looking around for her lover.

Phineas soon came back from the woods nearby with a large stick in hand. With everyone watching curiously, he braved himself to get close to the flames, stick held out as far as he could manage until it was sitting in the fire itself.

"Phineas? What are you doing?", Isabella asked, almost scared to see him so close to fire.

"Just hang on a second.", Phineas replied, kneeling down to rest his legs as he watched the end of the stick.

Soon enough, he pulled it back out, revealing the fire had caught onto it. He smiled at the others and came back to them.

"We're gonna need something to keep us warm, right?", he asked casually before he starting walking down the rail road tracks.

Everyone watched with wide eyes and Baljeet's jaw dropped.

"Ph.. HEY! Wait a minute!", Baljeet sputtered. "W-we just survived an explosion!"

Phineas turned back around, slightly curious before nodding.

"And...?"

"We're stranded in Canada!", Baljeet continued.

"Go on?"

"And you're just walking off, still planning to find Perry with nothing more than a stick on fire and a backpack?!", Baljeet asked, desperately hoping he'd say "no".

But Phineas didn't say "no". Instead what happened is that his face became serious. More serious than he's ever looked all Summer long, surprising Isabella some.

"Baljeet...", Phineas began. "Perry is out there somewhere. I HAVE to find him. Even if that means I'm going to go on nothing more than this torch, I AM going to find him! Don't you remember Africa?!"

"Yeah! Africa! Where, you know, we can always find a way to cool off, never keep a fire going to stay warm?! Where we wouldn't get frostbite and freeze to death?!", Baljeet argued. "I mean, come on! He's JUST a platypus! Where is all this family dedication coming from?! I doubt any ten year-old in the WORLD would care as much as you do!"

Ferb cringed a bit, hearing Baljeet say this. He looked over at Phineas who only furrowed his eyebrows together in response before answering, his voice starting to tremble with the held-back emotions.

"...Do you guys ever wonder why I love to build things all Summer long?", Phineas began to ask, stepping forward to the Indian child. "Do you guys ever wonder HOW on earth, I've POSSIBLY managed to gather enough genius to do what I do on a daily basis? Ever get curious?"

"W-well sure, Phineas.", Isabella nodded. "I think we've all been curious of that."

"Well it's because of my dad.", Phineas said, feeling his nose burning in the desire to shed a tear. He held it back though and continued. "Not...Not Ferb's dad. MY dad. My biological dad. He.. He died when I was only three years old. He died in a construction accident. Candace really loved him. And she told me that he really loved our family. That he loved to invent things..and trying to make people happy. I've never even seen him. I never got the chance to say 'hi' to him like you guys all did with your dads. He wasn't even there when I was born! And if that wasn't bad enough, then I got to see my great grandfather die. Yes, he was old for his age, but it was still heartbreaking. It still left an emotional scar, on me AND Candace. Family means a lot to us. And Perry's family. And if Perry's alive and I can get him back, then I'm going to. I KNOW what I'm going to do...what are you?"

With that being said, Phineas turned and started heading off again. Ferb soon joined him and the two brothers smiled at each other. Ferb had lost his mother as a child and he knew her. Family was just as important to him.

"Hey wait up!", Isabella called out, after she allowed the words to sink in.

The brothers looked back and she ran up to join them with a smile.

"You guys aren't going to do anything without me.", she said reassuringly. "Besides, Pinky's out there too!"

"Thanks, Isabella.", Phineas said.

They walked on and Buford and Baljeet looked at each other curiously.

"...Welp! I got no life.", Buford shrugged, following after them. "You can stay here with all the wolves, mountain lions, and bears."

Baljeet scowled at him as the bully began to walk off before scoffing and saying, "Wolves, mountain lions, and bears..."

Suddenly there was a rustling in the nearby woods and a wolf's howl was heard, echoing through the mountain side. With his heart skipping every beat, Baljeet quickly ran off after Buford.

"Wait up!", he said in panic.


	9. Chapter 9

The kids trekked through the mountain side. A cold breeze blowing by them as they made their way. The found a piece of the mountain, carved out into a half-dome shape with a few trees nearby and agreed to camp there for the night. After clearing away the snow, Ferb and Buford agreed to climb into the trees to get branches for their fire.

"Oh, hey bro. Wait.", Phineas said, holding Ferb back by the shoulder.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the knife Ohio gave him and handed it over to his brother.

"In case this might help you.", he offered.

Ferb gave a smile and a nod and took the knife. After he and Buford got up into the tree, Phineas walked over to where Isabella and Baljeet were setting up stones to keep the fire in place.

"Where'd you get the knife?", Isabella asked.

"My Great Grandpa Ohio.", Phineas answered, pushing a rock into place with his feet. "He gave it to me before he died."

"Um... How old were you?", Baljeet asked.

"Oh... 'Bout five.", Phineas shrugged, earning a few surprised looks from the other. "...What? I promised I wouldn't use it unless I had to."

"And for five years, you never used it till now?", Isabella asked.

"It always kinda scared me...", Phineas said uneasily.

"Why?"

"...cause he said he killed stuff with it.", Phineas admitted.

The others cringed a bit. Phineas offered a shudder, and Ferb and Buford soon came back down the tree with some small branches in hand.

With the fire going and some extra wood laying nearby, the kids pulled out their pillows and blankets from their packs and settled into their rest. Though not long after laying on the ground did they use the blankets as bed.

"...Phineas?", Isabella began. "...First off, what do we do if the fire goes out?"

"Well it'll be a lot like when we were driving. Someone's going to have to stay awake all night and keep an eye on it.", Phineas explained.

"I will.", Ferb offered.

"Ferb, you sure?", Phineas asked, earning a nod and a smile. "..kay."

"Alright. Secondly, do you think Perry and Pinky are alright?", she asked.

"I'm sure they are, Isabella.", Phineas reassured with a smile.

"But how can you be so sure?", Baljeet asked. "What if we are just wasting our time? And I am simply asking, I am not saying we need to head home."

"Well... I don't know for sure they're alright.", Phineas admitted. "But I'm hoping so."

"Hope so too.", Buford nodded. "Perry did always kind of have a thing with us, doesn't he?"

"That's part of what makes him so special.", Phineas agreed with a nod. "He always had this...this sort of thing about him... You just can't help but smile and be friendly knowing he'll be gone when you least expect it, and back before the end of the day..."

"Think that's a real great thing with any pet. No matter how long they'll be gone during the day, they always come back to you.", Isabella agreed.

"What do you think, Ferb?", Phineas asked as he laid back with his eyes closed and a smile.

Ferb simply tapped his brother's shoulder and the boy looked over before looking up at what Ferb was pointing towards.

The clouds above the children's heads had parted revealing a fascinating show of the Aurora Borealis. Everyone gasped in awe as the lights danced before them, moving this way and that.

"It's beautiful...", Isabella gaped.

Baljeet was the least impressed as he gave a shrug and started to say, "They're just the sun's radiation on the- AA-MMM!"

He quickly covered his mouth as Buford dumped snow down the back of his jacket and sweaters with a smile.

"Shut up, and stop ruining it for us.", he said, laying back.

The nerd fell back into the snow, pounding the ground while the ice melted away underneath him, trying hard not to scream in agony.

"Baljeet, what are you doing?", Phineas asked.

Once Baljeet had control over himself, he sat back up with a scowl at his nemesis.

"I'm TRYING not to start an avalanche by not screaming...", he growled.

"Ouch.. Sorry, Buddy.", Phineas said.

"I'm not.", Buford shrugged.

"I am going to get you..", Baljeet huffed, turning away from Buford.

The kids decided to try to find sleep, except for Ferb, and laid back down on their make-shift beds and after some struggle, the kids soon fell asleep, one by one.

The next morning, Isabella woke up to something warm, soft, and it sounded rhythmical. She smiled a bit, her eyes still closed, as she buried her face more into what it was, wanting to sleep just a bit more. Phineas started to wake as well, though his eyes were still shut. There was something warm up against him while something soft, sleek, and smelling like strawberries was tickling him right underneath his nose. He smiled a bit before he felt whatever it was, start to move.

With a shout of surprise, Phineas and Isabella jumped back from each other, startled at who they were with. Wide eyes and bright red faces continued to stare at one another for the while, their hearts racing fast. Then Isabella giggled a bit nervously and Phineas blushed even more, looking away.

"Um... Morning..", he mumbled.

"...Morning.", she returned, trying and failing to not let her voice waver in delight.

Phineas looked around a bit, obviously embarrassed for snuggling up to his best friend when he noticed something. His color cooled as he looked about, now more frantically.

"Hey... Where's Ferb?", he asked.

There was a whirring sound, soon followed by the image of Ferb coming up to them atop a snow mobile.

"Oh! There you are!", Phineas smiled, more relieved than he showed. "Where'd you get THAT?"

Ferb nodded to behind him before saying, "There's a log cabin a little bit away from here. I paid them for it."

"Awesome!", Phineas got up to his feet. "This is DEFINITELY going to save some time!"

"Hey wait.. Where's Baljeet?", Isabella asked, looking around now.

"Under Buford.", Ferb answered. "He rolled over onto him last night, not long after they fell asleep."

"Mm. Weird.", Phineas noted. "But.. At least they kept warm."

"Like you and Isabella?", Ferb asked quietly as he passed by his brother to wake up the other two, causing Phineas to blush again.

"F-Ferb!", Phineas exclaimed, feeling flustered all of a sudden while his brother only continued to smirk hidden behind his scarf.

After waking Buford and Baljeet up, everyone packed up their things, put out the fire with snow, and made their way into a town with the snow mobile at top speed. Hopefully, they'll find a train station at one point or another. Along the drive however, the kids were right back to their silence. Only this time, Phineas made no conversation, not because he couldn't think of a topic, but because of the Mexican-Jew sitting right beside him. The mere thought of him and Isabella being that close to each other made the boy shiver. But as Phineas thought over this weird feeling; his heart racing, his spine tingling, his face becoming very hot, he actually liked it. He had to admit it to himself. It was a nice feeling. Something he didn't want to stop. Something he wondered, and would be right if he asked, if Isabella felt as well. Buford and Baljeet, however, we less occupied as Phineas and Isabella were. And to the bully, there was only one thing to do. Something he should've done yesterday while they were still in the car.

"...Are we there yet?", he asked with a wide smile.

Ferb sighed. It was going to be a long trip.

"Are we there yet?", Baljeet asked, not only joining in on the joke, but also emphasizing the annoyance in his voice just to do so.

"Are we there YET?", Buford asked, trying not to laugh.

"ARE we there yet?", Baljeet asked.

"Where are we?"

"I'm hungry!", Baljeet whined.

"I'm hungry _too_!"

"Ferb!", Buford and Baljeet whined together. "We're HUNGRY!"

"Guys, come on.", Phineas chuckled a bit uneasily. "Stop trolling, Ferb."

"What? I'm just curious to where in Canada we are.", Buford asked with a shrug.

"Ferb? Ferb? Ferb? Ferb-Ferb-Ferb-Ferb?", Baljeet said, poking Ferb in the head while doing so.

"Ferb! Ferb! I haff to go to the bafwoom.", Buford said like a little kid.

"Ferb-Ferb-Ferb-Ferb-Ferb-Ferb..", Baljeet went on.

"_ARE WE THERE YET?_", they asked together.

***SCREECH!***

The snow mobile came to a sudden halt, sending the two over the top and landing in a pile of snow.

"...You're there.", Ferb replied coldly before driving on a again while Isabella and Phineas laughed in the back seat.

"And this is why Phineas and I are wearing seat belts.", Isabella said as they drove past the two as they popped up above the snow.

After the snow mobile began to drive off, Buford and Baljeet looked at each other worriedly before scrambling after it to catch up.

"WAIT UP!", they called out, chasing Ferb.

Meanwhile with Perry, the platypus was for once, trying not to worry about things. In fact, the more he thought about Bacon, the more he was happy to think about being amongst fellow nonanimal agents. In fact, from the sounds of it, the entire agency sounded like a workforce heaven. Great training programs, decent villains, and most of all, the lack of stress of teaching new agents how to speak and be humanly because every agent was born very anthropomorphic. They'd already learn everything they need to from the training sessions. And no silly acronyms like "fat" or anything. He began to do the one thing Phineas always did; be optimistic. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he'll like his next host family just as much as the first.

To make matters better, Pinky even came up saying he had a surprise for him. Being lead through the train with his eyes covered, Perry stumbled his way about, curious about what had the dog so excited.

_"'Can I get a hint? Anything?'"_, Perry asked.

_"'No no! Hang on Amigo!'"_, Pinky said excitedly. _"'We're almost there. ...Alright, ready?'"_

_"'Yes.'"_

_"'You sure?'"_

_"'Yes!'"_, Perry's tail flapped a bit in anticipation.

_"'Ta-da!'"_, Pinky uncovered his eyes and Perry looked to find they were in the dining cart, standing in front of one of the booths.

A closer examination, Perry found the plate on the table was stacked with grub-filled s'mores and smiled in excitement.

_"'NO WAY!'"_, Perry chattered, happily sitting down. _"'Awesome!'"_

_"'AND a delicious grilled cheese specialty!'"_, Pinky smiled himself, also sitting down across from him.

The two dug into breakfast. With the cheese sticking to his mouth and muffling his words, Pinky managed to start a conversation.

_"'You know..'"_, he began. _"'I'm kinda surprised they even had chocolate on board.'"_

_"'What makes you say that?'"_

_"'Well think about it. We're on a train full of animals who can't eat chocolate, except for you.'"_, Pinky shrugged. _"'Think Bacon has already chosen a favorite agent.'"_

Perry chuckled a bit, shaking his head and chattered, _"'Not necessarily. There ARE the majors, interns, and such. There ARE humans on board as well who would want to eat chocolate.'"_

_"'Yeah, but this wasn't a specific order.'"_, Pinky argued. _"'It was right there on the menu and I don't think humans eat grubs like platypuses do.'"_

_"'Well they could if...they...'"_, Perry's voice trailed off as he remembered Isabella eating grub s'mores with him, Phineas, Ferb, Buford, and Baljeet back in Africa. _"'...didn't expect to...'"_

Perry sat the s'more down on the plate, suddenly losing appetite as he remembered his trip to Africa. The way Phineas and Ferb were still looking for him after he ran away to deal with Doofenshmirtz. How badly he wanted to spend his day with them. How much and how quickly they worried when he pretended to be sick. Perry felt his homesickness get the better of him and Pinky could see it in the sullen expression of the platypus.

_"'...Amigo...'"_, Pinky sighed.

_"'I'm sorry. I just can't get past them.'"_, Perry said, pushing the plate away.

_"'Amigo, we've finally got a WHOLE day off in luxury!'"_, Pinky exclaimed. _"'Why can't you take a day off?! You deserve it more than any other agent in all of Owca! ENJOY YOURSELF, DARN IT!'"_

Perry was only silent. He looked up from the floor at the dog with sad eyes before sighing, shaking his head, hopping off the seat, and walking back to his room. He just couldn't. Not yet.

_"'No. Perry! Darn you Perry the Platypus!'"_, Pinky growled as the platypus walked away.

He was frustrated mostly. Perry would never, not once in all his life, take a full day off and enjoy himself. And Pinky can easily testify to this. Even if you stranded Perry on a beach, and forced him to relax, which the dog has, Perry just couldn't. He still kept waiting, kept on guard, just in case. Nothing made him feel easy. Nothing except Penny and since then, even that lost its affect. And it was cause of this that Perry would be able to tell if his fellow agents were trying to drug him with nip to relax a bit.

He started to follow after the platypus too, until he remembered that the s'mores had chocolate and there were many an agent who would be tempted to eat it and become poisoned. Not to mention that after all the drama that's doomed to happen, Perry might start to feel hungry and want the s'mores back. Pinky grabbed the plate and soon followed after the platypus.

_"'Perry wait up!'"_, he called out.

Once caught up, it wasn't long before the two were in a heated debate over one another. Duking out their frustrations about the other and the situation.

_"'You're going to DIE because you work yourself to death, do you know that?!'"_, Pinky growled. _"'Just GET OVER them! There WILL be other families!'"_

_"'So much for loyalty!'"_, Perry shot back. _"'You just don't get it do you?! There will NEVER be another family like them!'"_

_"'Like who?'"_, Peter asked, walking by and over hearing their debate.

_"'My family.'"_, Perry sighed, annoyed that his rival would butt into his conversation.

_"'Your... Weren't they the two boys with the red and green hair?'"_, Peter asked curiously.

_"'Yes, Peter.'"_, Perry rolled his eyes. _"'We're arguing because I still miss them.'"_

_"'How could you miss them? They're on the train.'"_, Peter asked curiously.

Perry felt his heart skip a beat and his eyes widened. Phineas and Ferb? ON THE TRAIN!?

_"'...What are you saying...?'"_, Perry asked, wondering what form of torture Peter was using now.

_"'That they are on this train.'"_, Peter said, slowing his words to emphasis each one as if Perry was still learning to talk.

_"'They can't be!'"_, Pinky argued. _"'Peter what's been put into your bamboo?!'"_

"THEY. ARE. ON. THE. TRAIN.", Peter said clearly and loudly in English.

_"'You're kidding!'"_, Pinky gaped.

_"'NO.'"_

_"'WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ANYONE?!'"_, Perry shouted down at the panda.

_"'Well JEEZ! You're so smart, why would a retard like me know something BEFORE a brainiac like you would, you stupid nerd?!'"_, Peter retorted.

_"'What's all the yelling about?'"_, Penny asked, coming out of her room from nearby.

_"'Phineas and Ferb are on the train!'"_, Perry said, now practically bouncing with excitement.

Penny, however, felt the exact opposite as Perry did. PERRY'S family was on the train? Was it possible she ratted THEM out to Major Monogram? Her guts swam as Perry turned back to Peter, eager for more information.

_"'Where'd ya see them? What box car are they on?'"_, Perry asked.

_"'I saw them when we were being loaded onto the train in those cages. I think they climbed onto the um...'"_, Peter sighed, snapping his fingers as he tried to think of the car's name. _"'The.. The... Darn it, what's that one called? On the end of the train?'"_

_"'The caboose!'"_, Perry answered.

_"'Thank you! Caboose. They're on the caboose last I knew.'"_

_"'THANK YOU! Oh my goodness, Peter THANK YOU!'"_, Perry said, shaking the panda's hand in excitement.

_"'You're THANKING ME?'"_, he asked quizzically.

_"'Isn't it obvious?! They found out I faked my death! Ho! This is perfect! They're looking for me! I'm gonna see them again!'"_, Perry rejoiced, now literally bouncing in anticipation. _"'OHHH my gosh, it hasn't been the whole week and I missed them SOO much! IN YOUR FACE!'"_

He pointed a finger at Pinky who jumped back a bit from the excitement of the platypus.

_"'Okay! They're here! Jeez!'"_, the dog whimpered.

_"'I gotta find them. Right now!'"_, Perry said, turning to the direction needed to get to the back of the train.

_"'NO!'"_, Penny suddenly said, snatching Perry's wrist.

The male looked back at the female and Penny instantly regretted her choice of action. But she was frantic. If Perry found out that the caboose was gone with the kids inside of it... It'd break his heart. And for once, she didn't want that to happen. Partly because SHE was the one who told Major Monogram!

Perry turned to face her, his curiosity growing as he took in Penny's body language. She seemed shaky, and her eyes were wide. She was nervous about something. But whatever it was, Perry, for once, didn't have time for it. He didn't care at the moment. He wanted to find Phineas and Ferb and go back home!

_"'Penny-'"_, Perry began.

_"'You can't go find them!'"_, Penny interrupted. _"'Cause.. Cause there's something I wanna talk to you about. ...In private.'"_

'Yeah, what about, idiot?', she asked hersel_f_.

_"'Wait, why privately?'"_, Perry asked, pulling his wrist out of her grasp. _"'What's so private, you can't say it among friends?'"_

_"'...Peter's not our friend!'"_, Penny said with a shake of her head.

_"'Alright, what can't you say among fellow agents?'"_, Perry asked, rolling his eyes.

_"'Well that's why I wanna say it in private!'"_, Penny went on, happy to buy time.

_"'Oh for heaven's sake just SAY it!'"_, Perry insisted, growing more and more impatient.

"'I-I LOVE YOU!'", she finally managed to blurt out.

Perry's eyes widened, Pinky's ears perked up, Penny's face became a violent shade of red, and even Peter seemed slightly surprised.

_"'...What..?'"_, Perry began to ask.

_"'I love you!'"_, Penny went on to say, praying she'd convince him. _"'Oh gosh! Perry I love you so much!'"_

She flung herself onto him, holding on tightly. Perry backed up a bit, surprised to suddenly see this from the platypus that normally rejected him. She hadn't acted this desperate since they first met!

_"'Penny...'"_, Perry began, turning red in the face himself as he tried to push her back as gently as he could. _"'Um...I love you too... But can this wait until AFTER I find the boys?'"_

_"'N-no!'"_, she went on, not sure what was worse, that he'd find out or that she'd keep this up. _"'No, you can't leave me! I need you!'"_

_"'Okay when did you-?'"_, Perry began, slightly confused before he felt an extra paw on his back, shoving him in a direction.

_"'OH JUST GET A ROOM!'"_, Peter groaned, pushing Perry and Penny into the cabin Penny came out of and slamming the door behind them.

_"'...Dude, you ARE a buttinsky!'"_, Pinky scoffed as Peter walked away, patting the dirt off his paws.

_"'Look at it this way. I'm saving the WHOLE train some trouble.'"_, Peter said, earning a curious look from the other. _"'Larry the Lyrebird is in the room RIGHT behind us.'"_

At this, Pinky's eyes widen into a look of shock before squinting into a look of embarrassment and disgust.

_"'Ooohh...'"_, he groaned.

_"'Your welcome.'"_, Peter said flatly before walking away. _"'Let's get some coffee.'"_

_ "'I hear that.'"_, Pinky agreed, happy to change topics.

When Peter had pushed the platypuses into the room, Perry ended up tripping on the rug, tumbling over the agent in front of him, and landing right over top of her, their bills only a few small inches away from one another. Wide eyed and red in the face, Perry quickly got up in embarrassment.

_"'Uh-!'"_, he cleared his throat, trying to calm his emotions before he helped Penny back up. _"'Penny, I don't know what that was all about with Peter, but I do love you. And I'd like to...'"_, he seemed a bit loss as to what to say for the moment before shrugging and going on. _"'h-have this conversation some time... However this happened and worked out.. But I need to find my family so if you don't mind..'"_

_"'But Perry! I-I-I-!'"_, Penny stammered, desperate for an excuse. _"'I-I wanna talk about it now!'"_

_"'Penny. Another time. I-'"_, Perry shook his head before turning to her. _"'When did you ever want my attention THIS badly?! You hate me!'"_

_"'Yeah, well maybe I only pretend to hate you cause I've always secretly loved you!'"_, Penny argued. _"'But we wouldn't know that unless you actually SIT down and talk to me about it!'"_

_"'Another time!'"_

_"'NO!'"_, Penny insisted, stepping between Perry and the door. _"'__NOW!__'"_

Before Perry could react, the blond wrapped her arms around him, catching not only the secret agent by surprise but also in a hair-raising lip-lock. Perry and Penny's bills both began to shiver and tremble in fast-paced electrical reception. But as much as Perry missed this, he pulled himself away, his face a dangerously bright shade of red as he stared at the other in surprise.

_"'Pen-!'"_, Perry began before being kissed once again, this time with determination not to be broken.

His attempts to tell her to stop were muffled by the kiss so he did the only thing he could, MAKE her stop. Perry managed to wrench her off of him, but she still held tightly to his wrists, stubborn to not let go.

_"'Penny! What are you doing?! You hate me!'"_, Perry growled. _"'What, are you hiding something from me?!'"_

_"'NO!'"_, Penny quickly replied, though everything in her facial expression said other wise.

But before Perry could exactly decipher her lie, Penny wrapped her arms around him tightly, pressing herself against him. Anything to distract him, she didn't care at the moment. As long as he didn't find out what was going on and hate her for what she did.

_"'Penny, what's gotten into you?! It's only June!'"_, Perry argued, trying to push her off.

_"'August came early!'"_, she retorted, clinging tightly as her nails dug into his fur.

She kissed him again and this time accidentally sent them tumbling to the floor where they were both in a struggle hold, one to keep contact, one to get up and get away.

_"'Penny! Would you just-!'" "'Perry! Why won't you just love me for once?!'"_, they would stammer to say through the fight, rolling across the floor of the cabin while doing so.

"PENNY!", Perry shoved her hard into the wall at the end of the room. "_YOU_ are gonna _STOP_ PLAYING THIS GAME AND _TELL ME_ WHAT THE HECK YOU'RE HIDING! I **_KNOW_** you're lying!"

Penny stared back for a scared moment. How long was she willing to put up this charade? Unfortunately, not very long. She broke down into sobs under the pressure and easily surprised Perry.

_"'I can't tell you!'"_, she admitted. "_'Perry, I'm... I-I..! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!'"_

_"'Why not, Penny?'"_, Perry asked, calming his temper down now as he became concerned. _"'Why can't you just tell me?'"_

Penny shook her head, unable to find the ability to speak past her crying. He hugged her close and they sat on the ground as she continued to sob into his shoulder.

_"'Shh.. Shh..'"_, he cooed soothingly, trying to help her feel better. _"'Penny, it's alright... Talk to me..'"_

Penny simply shook her head again. He'd hate her. She knew he would. It was all her fault. And while normally that wouldn't be such a bad thing, it really was. Granted, she was normally pissed off at Perry but that's because she held grudges. She didn't have any real friends in Owca aside from Perry. She tried. They talked. But there was a difference. A huge one. Perry's love for her was actually more meaningful than she would care to admit.

_"'Penny, please...'"_, Perry asked, trying to get her to face him.

But Penny kept turning away and quietly chattered, _"'No... You'd hate me...'"_

_"'Ha-? Penny.. I love you.'"_, Perry reassured. _"'I'm sorry for scaring you, but please... I just want to know..'"_

But Penny refused to answer and Perry allowed the matter to drop. She was obviously distressed, whatever this would be and to an animal, it wasn't good. He didn't want to push her on it. He'd decide something later. For the moment, what mattered now was that Penny would be alright. At least in his opinion.

"Are you alright?", Phineas asked Ferb as they drove on. "Ferb, that's the third cough in less than a minute."

"I'm alright.", Ferb said with a thumbs up.

"You're sounding a bit stuffed up.", Phineas noted.

"Phineas. I'm fine.", Ferb reassured.

"Hang on a second.", Isabella leaned over and checked Ferb's temperature before pulling back and looking back at Phineas as she sat down. "He's running a temperature."

"Ferb..", Phineas insisted, slightly worried. "Are you SURE you're not coming down with a cold?"

Ferb coughed a bit, the mucus heard clearly though he tried to cover it.

"I'm fine...", he reassured.

"Ferb..."

"Phineas. I'm alright.", Ferb insisted. "It's just a cold."

"But what if it gets worse?", Phineas asked. "What if you got pneumonia or something?"

"Phineas... I-"

"Hey guys look!", Baljeet pointed out.

The kids had finally made it to a small convenience store on the outskirts of town and stopped to buy gas for the snow mobile and make bathroom breaks.

"Aren't you a little YOUNG to be buying gas?", the cashier asked Ferb.

The young inventor looked up at the Canadian cashier with a small smile. He knew how to work the charm, just like back in Danville.

"Yes. Yes I am.", he said casually.

"I'm sorry kid, but I cannot let you buy gas then.", the man refused, surprising the boy.

Ferb's face completely fell with the reply and he began to panic.

"But.. But what if I'm buying it for someone else?", he asked.

"They can come here and buy it themselves.", the cashier retorted.

"What if they're sick?"

The cashier was unamused and Ferb knew he was in trouble. But not nearly as much trouble as Phineas and Isabella were as they sat in the back of the snow mobile. The events of the morning were still fresh in their minds and for the longest time, neither one spoke. Awkward glances, soon quickly turned away in embarrassment, and red faces were the only thing to fill the moment. Not until Isabella finally spoke up.

"Uh...", she stuttered at first, earning Phineas' attention. "I-I'm sorry if I um.. If I scared you earlier.."

"Wh? Oh! N-no. No, you're fine.", Phineas reassured with an awkward smile. "I-I was just surprised is all..."

"Mm-hmm.. Y-yeah..", she agreed.

"S-sorry that I..that we... um...", Phineas stuttered, earning a raised eyebrow from the other. "Th-that I- we were um.. S-s-s-so close.."

"Oh! No, no. Don't be sorry, cause-"

"Well I mean it's awkward and-"

"No, no. I mean I actually enjoyed i-!", Isabella quickly stopped but it was a second to late.

Phineas stared at her curiously as her face shone with red. But before another sound was made, they were interrupted.

"Who wants coff-!", Buford began before Isabella grabbed a cup of coffee and quickly began to drink it, stopping her ability to speak for the next while. "..fee."

Buford and Phineas stared, slightly surprised as Isabella continued her attempt to drink the whole cup in one shot. Phineas then took his own cup and had his breakfast.

Meanwhile, further down the road, Candace and Doofenshmirtz were still driving when Doof began to worry about something and he decided to confront Candace about it before it was too late.

"Hey... Candace?", he began.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Um... C-can you promise me something?"

"What Dad?"

"...", Heinz heaved a sigh, hating what he was about to say. "I want you to stop calling me 'Dad'."

Candace blinked in confusion and looked at him curiously before asking, "Why?"

"Cause... Well cause Phineas has never met me before.", he started to explain. "For practically all of his life, he thought I was dead. Imagine how weird that would me. 'Hey Son! I'm your father from the dead!' NOT to mention I AM the reason WHY he's all the way out here in the first place. I mean, Vanessa doesn't like me for a reason you know!"

"Dad, that's ridiculous!", Candace argued. "Phineas is the LAST person on the planet that would hate you!"

"Candace, PLEASE. Trust me on this... If Phineas knew I was the reason his pet had to fake his death... It'd kill him...", Heinz shook his head. "It's already going to be hard enough to explain to him that his pet's a secret agent WITHOUT the added pressure of who his biological father is and the fact that he's evil and, in a sense, 'killed' his platypus."

"But Dad!"

"Candace, PLEASE. Imagine if you were in HIS shoes for a moment.", Doof went on. "How would you like it if your dad was suddenly back from the dead and was an evil scientist who made you lose a piece of your family? A piece of your family who- just for the heck of it!- is a SECRET AGENT!"

"Well let's see, I'VE taken it pretty well.", Candace said defensively. "Dad... You mean so much to Phineas.. I think he'd be overjoyed just knowing his dad's alive and wanting to help him. Scientists and agents aside."

"...IF he happens to find out..", Heinz said, hoping to be able to bargain on this. "...can you at least let ME tell him?"

Candace sighed, knowing he never will but agreed, hoping that she'd be wrong.


	10. Chapter 10

At the gas station, Baljeet soon came back out to join his companions. That's when Buford noticed something and couldn't help but laugh his head off at it.

"What on earth is up with your nose?!", he asked between fits of laughter.

Baljeet sighed, keeping his head held up though as he replied with a nasally voice, "I sdarted to nose bleed.. I sduffed my nodrils full of doilet paper.."

Buford continued to laugh though Phineas and Isabella were a bit alarmed.

"Nose bleed?", Phineas asked.

"Are you alright?", Isabella asked. "Did you hit yourself?"

Baljeet shook his head and explained, "Idz probably da cold demperatures around here. Dey frozed my veins in my nodrils and thodes cracked, making me bleed. Idz perfectly common."

The two relaxed though Buford had to force himself to calm down or else spill his hot drink. Soon Ferb appeared on the sight and Phineas' attention turned to his step-brother.

"Well, Ferb?", Phineas asked.

Ferb looked at his brother for a moment, but then sadly shook his head.

"WHAT?!", everyone gasped.

"We can't buy the gas.", Ferb explained. "We're 'too young'."

"That never stopped us in Danville!", Buford gaped.

"Apparently, Canada is a much tougher crowd.", Baljeet observed with surprise.

"Well what are we gonna do?", Phineas asked. "We gotta have SOME means of transportation. I don't want your cold getting worse cause we're walking in the snow."

Before Ferb could say a word, another voice caught everyone's attention.

"Phineas!", the young inventor suddenly turned around to see his sister jumping out of the large blue car with a robotic man's head on the front.

"Candace?!", everyone, especially Phineas and Ferb, exclaimed.

"Phineas, oh my gosh are you guys okay?!", Candace instantly began, checking over her little brothers in fear.

Ferb couldn't help but cough some and that only sky rocketed Candace's worry.

"Oh my gosh! Ferb! You're sick!", she said, checking his temperature before turning to the driver of the car. "Da- er..Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Ferb's sick!"

"Holy-! Well hurry up and get him in!", Heinz exclaimed, equally worried.

Ferb, still uncontrollably hacking away, was instantly rushed into the heater warmed car and soon found himself face to face with Vanessa's father as he checked over him and Candace caught up with Phineas.

"Candace, how on earth did you find us?!", Phineas asked.

"I was following Perry's DNA tracking in the car and we saw you guys.", Candace explained. "Now are YOU alright? Where's YOUR car?"

"We left it back at a train station in Montana.", Phineas explained.

"Excuse me, Candace? Um.. Who are you driving with?", Isabella asked, eying Doofenshmirtz suspiciously.

Heinz, hearing himself being mentioned, couldn't help but glance back while Ferb rested himself in one of the seats. Candace and her dad looked at each other for a moment, knowing their earlier conversation, and Candace brought them over so Ferb could hear.

"His name is Heinz Doofenshmirtz. He's gonna help us find Perry.", Candace explained. "I met him yesterday, and he's a really great guy."

"Well hey there, Dr. Doofenshmirtz!", Phineas smiled, coming over and holding out his hand in a friendly gesture.

Heinz only stared, or at least, tried not to stare, as he gave a nervous smile and shook Phineas' hand.

"H-h-hi.", he stuttered in a higher-pitched voice before forcibly clearing his throat and returning it to normal. "S-sorry. It's a real pleasure to meet you, Phineas. Candace..told me quite a bit about you."

"Cool! She did?", Phineas asked, earning a small nod.

Doofenshmirtz couldn't be more relieved as he stared at his son. Relieved, proud, it was almost painful, the amount of joy it was to finally meet his OWN son, hear him talk, see him smile. He loved his daughters, very dearly, but a first encounter is always nerve wracking, especially to him.

"Well this is my friend, Isabella.", Phineas went on with introductions, though Doofenshmirtz barely paid any attention. "And you already met Ferb. This is Baljeet, and Buford."

The kids said their own greetings and Heinz gave a nod and a smile in response.

"Well, I guess we should catch you guys up to speed with what we're doing. We think that our pet platypus has been kidnapped by a poacher.", Phineas started to say. "Along with Isabella's pet dog, Pinky, and several other animals from Danville-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, wait, what?", Heinz asked. "WHO did WHAT to Perry the Platypus?"

"A poacher.", Baljeet repeated. "A poacher stole Perry."

"Ha! Well I wouldn't really call Major Monobrow a POACHER. More like a MORON if anything.", Doof scoffed.

"Major Who?", Isabella asked.

"Major Mono- Oh...", Heinz sighed, remembering exactly who it was he was talking to. "Sorry. I forgot you guys don't know. Kids, Perry the Platypus, and I think your little dog too, are secret agents working for Owca; the Organization Without a Cool Acronym."

This definitely earned curious looks from the others and Doofenshmirtz sighed seeing this. He and Candace exchanged looks. Something told Candace, Heinz was expecting to see this as a response.

"But.. What do you mean Perry's a secret agent? He's just a platypus. They don't do much.", Phineas shrugged.

"Well Phineas, think about it.", Candace said, taking her turn to explain things. "Perry goes wandering off every day, he lays about the house like he's tired when he comes back, SOMEONE managed to sneak INTO our house and steal, of all the animals in the world, YOUR pet platypus?"

"Well-"

"Random cuts and scrapes and missing fur? Phineas, Perry suddenly wound up back home WITH A BROKEN LEG one time! Think about it. In retrospect, it's pretty obvious!"

Phineas, Ferb, EVERYONE widened their eyes with surprise. But Phineas shook his head, still finding it hard to believe. Their platypus was an agent? This whole time?

"Phineas, please. Take it from me.", Heinz began to say. "I've known Owca for a long time. Perry IS in fact, a secret agent. And Major Monogram- whom sometimes I refer to as Monobrow cause he's only got ONE eyebrow- is his boss."

"...You know..", Phineas began, now that his thoughts were becoming cleared. "...for some absurd reason...I'm not surprised.. THAT'S what I'm finding hard to believe."

"Really?", Heinz said in surprise.

"Yeah but.. But I AM concerned... Wow. That would make sense considering the trucks they were driving in...", Phineas trailed off, turning to Isabella who nodded, equally surprised.

"Were all called 'Owca'. So THAT'S what it was!"

Doofenshmirtz couldn't help but laugh hearing this stupidity. For a secret organization, it was losing it's secrecy faster and faster. But there was still something that was troubling Phineas.

"But... But if it's REALLY a secret organization...", Phineas shrugged. "How is it that YOU know so much about it?"

"Well... Well cause..", Heinz shirked a bit, knowing that what he was about to say, would officially put a verbal wall between him and his son.

"Do you work with Perry or something?", Baljeet asked.

"...No. Not really.", Doofenshmirtz said, shifting uncomfortably. "I.. I know so much cause.. Well cause I'm an evil scientist."

Easy enough to guess, this surprised the kids. And Heinz had to continue on to explain it.

"Yes, I'm evil. I try to take over the Tri-State Area on a constant basis and Owca.. Owca's really full of all the good guys. Your platypus is fighting for the right cause and everything. But see I.. Well I finally DID manage to take over the Tri-State Area and it's... It's my fault that your platypus is gone now."

"WHAT?!", Phineas suddenly blurted out in shock, earning equally matched emotions from the others. He quickly tried to cover over his surprise, embarrassed that he suddenly yelled like that. "...d-do you mean?"

"...Well, I banned Owca and they ran off to Canada, here.", he explained before adding on. "WHY is BEYOND me. That's THEIR thing. I had nothing to do with us being in Canada."

"But if you're against Owca and therefore against our pet platypus, then why are you helping us?", Phineas asked calmly, though still concerned.

"Well cause I hate to see a broken family for starters.", Heinz shrugged. "I had one myself growing up and, heck, even to this day. I may be evil, but I'm not cruel! Secondly, Perry the Platypus IS my nemesis. Yes I hate him, but even I wouldn't want to tear him away from his family."

"Oh...", Phineas said, though his smile was gone. "Um... Candace, can I talk to you.. PRIVATELY?"

Candace gave a nod and Heinz removed himself from the scene. The group huddled closer and Phineas started, as if slightly oblivious.

"Now.. I'm not entirely sure how to put it NICELY so I'll just be blunt. Uh..", Phineas began. "Let's see.. Oh yeah. Why are you working with our pet's ENEMY!?"

"Cause HE'S willing to help us, he's sorry for what he's done, and he's apparently the only one of us with a car that has a heating system in it!", Candace argued. "Phineas, you gotta trust me on this. I know. He's evil and that's kinda freaky and everything-"

"It's exactly everything Mom ever taught us NOT to do!", Phineas interrupted. "It's like breaking every rule in the house!"

"But he's a great person and he's trying to help us! And don't EVEN start feeling guilty or anything, twerp! You and Ferb aren't exactly precious angels, ya know!"

"Name one thing that we've done wrong.", Phineas said indignantly.

"Watch it, bro. Your attitude's coming back.", Candace warned with sarcasm.

"Actually, we're in this country illegally.", Buford noted.

"...W-well..", Phineas said, starting to lose his confidence a bit.

"And we weren't supposed to be on that train..", Isabella admitted, slightly embarrassed.

"Alright, well there's that..."

"Train? What train were you guys on?", Candace asked, though ignored.

"And I hate to be the one to break this to you, but Irving did not ask his brother for those keys and we had left Albert's car back at the train station where it could be stolen.", Baljeet said. "Not to mention we could have been sleeping on someone else's property without their permission."

"Um..."

"That snow mobile wasn't for sale.", Ferb admitted, earning attention. "...I walked away from the campsite, just curious, and I saw a log cabin a bit of a ways from us. There was a snow mobile in an open garage and I hot-wired it. I left American money on their doorstep though."

Phineas' jaw dropped hearing this. His own BROTHER? He sighed, knowing he was beat.

"...Alright.. Fine.. We'll find Perry with him.", Phineas agreed. "But I'm not fully supportive of it!"

Doofenshmirtz couldn't help but watch through the windows of the car as the kids spoke and felt his heart sink at Phineas' stern face when the boy agreed. He knew what Candace said, and believed her, yes. But it still worried him. If Phineas is this upset by working with him to find Perry the Platypus, how much more upset would he be if he knew the truth?

After the agreement was made, Candace gave Heinz a signal it was alright to come back over and Heinz pulled out his car keys.

"Alright so.. We got a deal?", he asked Phineas, holding out a hand.

Phineas looked at the man a moment, an odd buzz in the back of his mind about where he might've seen him before. But he took the man's hand and gave a firm shake. Heinz smiled a bit and Phineas smiled back.

"So then.", Doof said, pulling his hand back and bringing out his car keys. "Everyone load up into Norm and we'll be off then."

"Who's Norm?", Isabella asked.

"I'm Norm!", Norm said, earning a few surprised yelps from the others.

Candace smirked at her younger brother and even Phineas couldn't help but relax with a wide smile of his own.

"Alright! I'll give points for the talking robot car.", he nodded, climbing in.

The kids climbed into the car, ready to roll, Candace climbed into the passenger seat, and Doof into the driver's seat.

"He's mad at me, isn't he?", he asked Candace quietly.

"He's just...a little hesitant.", Candace replied. "You ARE evil. You sat that up for yourself, ya know."

"I know...", Heinz sighed.

Ferb, Buford, and Baljeet sat in the far back while Phineas and Isabella sat in the middle. It was slightly awkward, from their perspective, as their previous conversation resurfaced their memories.

***Smack!***

"Ow!", Buford rubbed the back of his head. "Ferb, what was that for?!"

"Beetle Bug, slug.", Ferb replied.

Buford looked out his window, but only became more confused.

"There aren't even any cars on the road!", he retorted, earning a wide smirk from the Scotsman.

"Oh not this again...", Baljeet groaned, keeping his attention out his window.

At long last, the train arrived at its destination and the Owca agents were soon showed to a room where they would meet with the Bacon agents and be given instructions and the new set of rules, by the head agent. Many of the Owca agents were talking amongst themselves, though Perry seemed the most nervous.

_"'Perry, chill. It'll be alright.'"_, Peter said, being lined up next to him.

_"'I'm sorry.'"_, Perry said. _"'Aside from Clarissa and you, these are the only other nonanimals I'll ever meet. I'm also the head of OUR agency so I'M responsible on making us look good for the other and pass an initiation test.'"_

_"'It'll be fine, Amigo.'"_, Pinky reassured from next to Peter.

'...I hope so..', Perry thought to himself.

The doors opened and every Owca agent turned to watch in anticipation and fear while a 2 ft white ermine stepped out, soon accompanied by other agents. Much like the Organization Without a Cool Acronym, the agents of Biologically Advanced Creatures Opposing Ne'erdowells, also wore fedoras. But these hats were a dark shade of blue instead of brown and they wore matching blue jackets with a white sash and belt. The leader stepped out to the middle of the room, happening to be right in front of Perry, and turned to face the Owca agents while his fellow coworkers lined up behind him.

The ermine eyed them all suspiciously, namely Perry, before starting to say, "Owca Agents, I am the top agent of this organization. My name, is Ethan."

While most may have guessed the ermine to be capable of speaking English, it still surprised the majority. Ethan then laid his eyes on Perry, and specifically Perry, alerting the platypus a bit more as they locked views on one another. The ermine stepped forward and gave a casual smile.

"I'm to assume YOU'RE, Perry the Platypus?", he asked.

_"'Yes Sir.'"_, Perry gave a nod.

"Stand by, soldier. No need to be so uptight.", Ethan replied. "I can smell your tension the moment I walked into the room."

Perry, slightly surprised by this, relaxed his shoulders and dropped his hands from behind his back to his sides.

"...You're always, tense. Aren't you?", Ethan asked before cutting the platypus off as he opened his bill. "Don't answer that."

The ermine began to circle Perry, though Perry did his best to remain calm.

"You're...bout five years?", he asked. "And you may answer me now."

_"'Yes Sir.'"_

"Speak human, Bartholomew. You're going to be needing it.", Ethan mentioned, making Perry's face flush red as his fellow agents, best friends, rival, and exgirlfriend heard his first name for the first time.

"Yes Sir.", he agreed.

"You don't like that name, do you?"

"I'm...partial to Perry.", Perry replied.

"Smart answer.", Ethan chuckled. "Not like many of your fellow agents are you?"

"Permission to ask a question?"

"Granted."

"How would you possibly know the smallest aspects of my life?", he asked.

"For one I read your profile, that's how I learned your name. For another, 99% of my knowledge of you, is my ability to smell.", he said, stopping in front of him again. "I can smell your family on you, how many are in your family, your age, gender, and even what you've last had to eat. I'm glad you liked the grub s'mores we prepared for you."

Perry's eyes widened a bit. He was good!

"Welcome to the club of supposed, 'freaks' in the animal kingdom.", Ethan said with a smile. "Every one of us has a feature or two that's been genetically enhanced. No need to rely on NATURAL abilities."

"Ahem.. Well.. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with natural abilities.", Perry tried saying politely.

"I suppose...", Ethan said, his smile gone, as his eyes darted toward Penny across the room who fumed at the remark. "...If one happens to allow a natural animal into their social life."

_"'Now what's THAT supposed to mean?!'"_, Penny questioned indignantly.

Perry's face turned red again and he sighed a bit before nodding to her and saying, "Penny. Our..."

"Natural platypus who was recruited from the wilds of Australia itself, correct?", Ethan asked.

"Yes, Sir."

Ethan finally turned his head towards her and then glanced back at Perry before taking a step to the female platypus.

"Answer me this, Ms. Opinion. Did August come early or is there something else I'm smelling?"

Penny and Perry's face grew bright hot as the Bacon and Owca agents laughed. Ethan smiled a bit and came back to Perry.

"Honestly, did it or am I smelling your owner's sister's, pretty pink perfume?", he asked quietly, making Perry's head hang a bit.

"...Perfume..", he uttered quietly.

"Charming.", Ethan said before coming up to Peter. He took one look at the panda and made his remark. "You've been to a number of places, now haven't you?"

"It depends on who's asking.", Peter retorted coldly as he crossed his arms.

"Just a question.", he replied calmly. "So who is it that you and Perry have both seen? Because you're both reeking of pork."

Perry quietly groaned, rolling his eyes, while Peter sighed. Here they go again.

"Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.", Peter replied. "We've both fought him a few times over the course of this Summer."

Ethan looked back at Perry for a moment before continuing as he said, "And the trouble between you two..?"

"Well...", Peter began before smirking a bit to himself as he glanced at Perry. "ONE of us has 'territorial issues'."

"Oh gosh, when you say it like that, you make me sound like a girl!", Perry snapped.

"Well you might as well be Mr. I'm in love with my nemesis!", Peter remarked.

_"'I'M NOT IN LOVE WITH THAT DUMKOPH!'"_, Perry shouted, his face turning red again. _"'HATE with a passion! That's ALL it is!'"_

"Calm yourself now, Perry.", Ethan said coolly. "I'm sure we'll find you a nemesis who will.. As you say, 'hate with a passion', eh?"

Perry only sighed, turning his head away and Ethan moved down the line to Pinky. The ermine watched as Pinky continued to shake and tremble, despite his many layers of warm clothes.

"Stop. Shaking.", Ethan commanded in a cold menacing growl as his bright, golden eyes narrowed dangerously.

Pinky stopped instantly, wide eyed and full of fear.

"Better.", Ethan said, moving on and stopping by Penny. "So you're the au natural, eh?"

_"'Is there a problem with that?'"_, Penny said defensively. _"'Oh. And exCUUUUSE ME if I offend you for not speaking human, but I prefer to stick with my native tongue.'"_

"Trust me, my dear. Your very presence offends me.", Ethan replied with a nod, keeping his tone polite.

_"'YOU-!'"_

Penny hauled off and threw a punch at the ermine who quickly caught it and brought the wrist to his mouth as he scowled down at her.

"ONE MOVE and I can easily bite your arm off...", he warned, filling her with both fear and rage.

She jerked her arm back and he let go, still scowling at one another.

"I can see why Perry hasn't bothered with you much.", he huffed at her quietly before moving on.

As Ethan walked by, Penny started to charge at him but was easily held back by Pinky, though she struggled.

_"'I'M GONNA KILL HIM! I SWEAR!'"_, she chattered angrily.

_"'No no! It's not worth it! It is NOT worth it, Penny!'"_, Pinky argued.

Elsewhere in the base, there was equal investigation as Major Monogram, Carl, and the Bacon's head major, Marshall, were busy walking down the halls as Marshall gave a tour of the base. While the two majors may wear clothes that seemed similar, Marshall's was a purple with black initials, "MM" underneath a yellow crown on his chest and tucked his pants into his black boots. Unlike Monogram who wore a wig, Marshall was still young enough to keep his short, dark blond, hair and beard, real. And despite his nonchalant attitude, he continued to walk, slightly ahead of them, at a brisk, firm pace that continued to demand authority to those who walked near.

"These here, are the cubicles your agents will be working in.", he was saying. "Fairly decent sized, and each one with its own personal entrance to get them in and out of work with ease. Late for their job? It's not the traffic's fault.", Marshall was saying with a casual smile as Monogram and Carl looked about with slight interest. "In just a moment, we'll be coming up to our gym where every means of equipment for all of our agents will be found."

"Excuse me?", Carl interrupted, stopping at the end of the hallway they came up to. Monogram and Marshall were already heading in one direction, but Carl was looking in the opposite. "What's down there?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. Yes. Our labs. We mustn't disturb the scientists, they always find it hard to concentrate.", Marshall said.

"What do they do?", Monogram asked.

"There, they create our newest recruits and the like.", Marshall answered with a nod. "Moving on, eh?"

The two continued to walk and Carl trailed behind them, slowing his pace as he was still curious. What kind of a lab must it be like? With as impressive as everything else seemed to be, it was almost irritating not to see what was in there. But he kept up with the majors, a slow pace, as his mind churned on the possibilities.

And then everything stopped all together. His pace, his thoughts, his heart, and everything in his world.

"Ah! Bonjour, Michelle.", Marshall greeted as his own intern came striding up to him.

"Bonjour.", she returned, heading past them.

She was about Carl's height with pale blond hair, held up in a messy bun. She had dark freckles, thick, dark red framed glasses, an orange jacket, red turtle neck, and slacks. Her expression, however, was cold and heartless as she continued to scribble away at the small rectangle in front of her. She hadn't seen Carl and Carl was too stunned before he realized that she ran right into him.

The collision was unnoticed by the majors, but Michelle certainly seemed outraged as she stood up, scowling at the other on the floor.

_"What on earth is wrong with you?!"_, she yelled out at him in French. _"You stupid American pig!"_

_"M-me?!"_, Carl replied in French as he stood up, readjusting his glasses. _"You didn't even see me!"_

_"You should've moved out of my way!"_, she retorted.

_"Well you have no right calling me a pig! I'm part French too, ya know!"_, he argued back, surprising her a bit.

_"More weird than anything."_, she huffed before getting down on her knees again to find her own glasses.

_"Me? At least I can speak English."_, Carl retorted.

_"Do you have a problem with us Canadians who only speak French?"_, she said, scowling back at him.

_"When they shoot me down before they even learn my name."_, Carl said, calming down now.

He stooped down and picked up her glasses as she found her pencil. She put her glasses back on, looked at him, and then gave a short sigh.

_"My apologies."_, she said. _"What is your name?"_

_"Carl."_, he replied.

_"Well then, Carl..."_, she began. _"..you're a stupid American pig."_

Carl sighed, slightly frustrated that he hasn't even been in Bacon for five seconds and was already socially ruined.

_"You could at least give me a chance."_, he replied. _"I'm not as bad as people first think."_

He picked up the rectangular object she dropped, and found it was a digital notepad. As Michelle reached out to take it back, he quickly snatched it away, now curious of what she was writing.

_"Give that back!"_, she growled.

_"...Your physics are wrong."_, he said, reading it.

_"What?"_

_"These.. Right here. These figures are wrong. It'll end up turning someone into a fly, if anything."_, he said, moving himself closer so they could both see as he pointed them out.

_"...You're right."_, she said, slightly surprised. _"...Now I've got to rewrite the whole thing!"_

_"...May I help you?"_, he asked, feeling his cheeks grow warm.

She looked at him skeptically over her glasses but then readjusted them to see him through them.

_"...perhaps..."_, she said, slightly curiously.

Carl gave a small smile and she offered a tick of one in return. The two got up onto their feet and headed off to her office.

After being inspected by Ethan, the Owca agents were finally allowed to explore the Bacon's base and adjust themselves into their cubicles. Perry was unpacking his things when he saw the picture of his family. He picked up the frame and sighed, seeing the boys' happy faces. He hoped they would be alright, but it still worried him. How much did they miss him? How much trouble were they really in?

_"'Perry! Amigo!'"_, Pinky suddenly exclaimed, running to his cubicle.

_"'Hm? What is it, Pinky?'"_, Perry asked, momentarily distracted.

_"'Bro! You would NOT believe- What's that?'"_, he asked, seeing the picture in his hands.

Perry sighed a bit and looked at his friend guiltily.

_"'...Ay-yi-yi! Perry!'"_, Pinky growled.

He came over and shoved the picture onto the desk as Perry only sighed.

_"'Perry, please! I'm BEGGING you! Por favor! TAKE. A. BREAK!'"_, Pinky said in a whimper. _"'ONE day off. Can you at least go for ONE day without worrying about your family?'"_

Perry sighed again and agreed to do so. He then nodded to his boxes.

_"'Besides, I've got plenty to keep me busy.'"_, he was saying.

_"'Oh no no no no. A REAL break!'"_, Pinky said. "_'There's SO many things we can do here- For Pete's sake, Perry! I got lost in this maze! TWICE!'"_

_"'...Seriously?'"_, Perry asked inquisitively.

_"'SERIOUSLY!'"_, Pinky nodded. _"'It's a freaking labyrinth! Come on and get lost with me for once, will ya?'"_

_"'I... uh.. Oh alright. You win.'"_, Perry shook his head with a smile.

_"'PERRY!'"_, came the undeniable squawk from Clarissa as she came flapping down the hallways. _"'PERRY! PERRY! PERRY! PERRY! PERRY!'"_

She came up to his doorway, frazzled looking as Perry and Pinky stared in surprise.

_"'Whoa, whoa, calm down Clarissa.'"_, Perry said, coming up. _"'What is it? What's wrong?'"_

_"'You-! You gotta see this!'"_, she continued to exclaim. _"'The-the-the copier!'"_

_"'What? What's wrong with the copier?'"_, Perry asked, still unsure of the frantic display.

_"'PERRY!'"_, Clarissa gasped as she took hold of the platypus by the arms, the look on her face as if she was saying profound truths. _"'...It works...'"_

Pinky and Perry stared with wide eyes.

_"'N...No...'"_, Perry began.

_"'YOU LIE!'"_, Pinky accused, earning a slow shake of the head.

_"'It...WORKS...'"_, she repeated.

_"'It...it can't be true!'"_, Perry still said, slightly terrified.

_"'Perry..'"_, the chicken continued, pulling the platypus closer so all he could see was her eyes. "...it works...PERFECTLY."

She let go of him, backed away, and once outside of the cubicle again, took off down the hall to continue spreading the word. Perry and Pinky stared at each other, jaws dropped.

_"'...AW HECK YEAH!'"_, Perry nodded, and the two took off, down the hallway.

The agents watched in suspense as the light under the lid moved back and forth. TAUNTING them with the horror of tone, or fade, or some horrible catastrophe that has long plagued them in filing reports of their missions and adventures in the job. When Perry and Pinky came up, the platypus was instantly brought to where the copy would be brought out, being told numerous times by numerous voices that they needed his expert opinion.

As the machine whirred and made its own noises, Perry watched. He could see the end of the paper starting to peek from the depths of the copier. Within moments, though it felt like forever, the paper came out and Perry snatched it and looked over it carefully. Everyone waited and watched in high hopes before Perry lifted his head. Eyes wide, hands shaking slightly, Perry uttered the two words that made them all scream in rejoice.

"It works."

Ethan overheard the commotion and was marching into it while snapping out at them, "HEY! CHILL OUT! What's going on here?!"

He found Perry at the center and his demeanor instantly changed, seeing both the platypus and the copier.

"Oh. Um... S-sorry, Sir.", Perry grinned sheepishly. "It's just that..."

"Your copiers are substantial?, he asked, earning a nod. "Quite alright, I fully understand. But, um.. Perry?"

"Yes, Sir?"

Ethan gestured for him to walk away from the crowd and they did so as Ethan continued.

"I trust you've unpacked your belongings?", he asked.

"Yes, Sir.", Perry nodded. "Well... Mostly, Sir."

"Dispense the formalities.", Ethan ordered, though casual-sounding. "Because I've recently received word that the majors and admirals would like for you to partake in a...a bit of an initiation test. Help show, who's better than the other agent, you see, and therefore the top agent."

"Wait.. Are you asking me to fight with you?", Perry questioned, making sure he heard right.

"Correct. Very much like the nature of lions in their prides.", Ethan gave a nod. "Show who belongs in what place, you see."

"I can understand that. I went through something similar in my earlier days.", Perry gave a nod. "Right now?"

"Only if you're free for the challenge.", Ethan offered with a shrug.

Perry stopped to turn to Ethan. For the majority of his life, he was so focused on fighting Doofenshmirtz. It was rare that he fought anyone, or thing, else outside a verbal fight. He smiled a bit, finding the challenge inviting.

"Why not? It'd be nice to loosen up my muscles a bit.", Perry said.

Ethan gave a wide smile, the fangs in the back of his mouth gleaming while doing so before he said, "I'm sure to find this...rather interesting."

* * *

_Laura: BA DA DA DA! XDD My top three favorite people to write: Bloodpudding, Candace, and Ethan! X33 Funny note about this ermine though, if I may ramble. The idea of an ermine named Ethan had originally started in a fan character in the Sonic Fandom as part of a long, on-going fanfiction that Amber and I had thought up of but never got around to writing it. He was silly, clumsy, and yet still sided as an antagonist. Later on, when we made this fanfiction into an original story called Mixed Nuts, we decided to keep him but as a human that had wound up in a scientific accident that gave him ermine like abilities such as smelling and his hair changing from ermine colorings to stoat. He was still goofy and had a crush on our main heroine. But we never got around to writing anything still. When we were coming up with Ethan the Ermine HERE in Come Home Perry, we were going to make him just as silly as before (in fact we once had the idea of him choking the moment he stepped into the room because of Penny's natural scent. XD) but we figured that Bacon had to be a serious organization and therefore changed his character into this sort of menacing means of quiet dignity and intelligence. Major Marshall was created as a means of a serious counterpart to Monogram and yes, his name is spoofing off of "Jeff Swampy Marsh" not necessarily the terminology "Marshal" like a ranking in leadership though it does add to the irony that he's the leader of the organization and both of his titles "Major" and "Marshall" are top rankings. Michelle speaks only French is very rude and is supposed to be a love-interest to Carl (Not much is done between them though to save you all some torture.) and she's supposed to be the counterpart to Carl. I was stuck for a name so I just went with Michelle. XP_

_Amber: That's a long A/N. 0_0_

_Laura: Gosh, hope that doesn't distract anyone from the fact that Ethan and Perry are about to go head-to-head. ^^;;_


	11. Chapter 11

The two got themselves sat up in the gym, the other agents who were interested, watching nearby, split along the opposites sides of the room. Perry cracked his knuckles in anticipation.

"So, are we using tools?", he asked. "Grappling hooks or anything?"

"I'll leave that to you.", Ethan offered as he waited, his tail impatiently tapping the air.

"Let's go natural.", he smiled a bit, positioning himself for the fist-to-fist fight.

"So be it.", Ethan smirked.

A punch was thrown, Perry easily dodged it. What he didn't expect though was Ethan's tail coming up from behind him, causing him to trip and fall over backwards. The platypus back flipped out of the way as the ermine tried to stomp on him. Once on his feet, Perry quickly caught the fist that was thrown at him again, threw his own punch which was caught, and was in a struggle hold against Ethan. But the ermine dug his nails into Perry's hand, making the platypus cringe and gasp in pain. With attention to his injury, Ethan's other hand was free enough to wriggle out and grab Perry's wrists with each hand. Before Perry could register it, the Owca agent was flipped around and could feel Ethan's sharp teeth graze past his neck, threatening to bite down and end his life.

He didn't dare to move, and Ethan smiled, finding his triumph. But suddenly Perry's head rammed itself into his mouth, causing him to stumble back in pain. Perry backed up as best as he could, quickly rubbing his neck and finding a few drops of blood on his paw. But he didn't have time to register his fear as Ethan charged at him, throwing another punch. He managed to hit Perry square in the jaw, stumbling the platypus back. Ethan took this chance to pin the platypus to the floor as Perry struggled to keep him off. The platypus managed to kick Ethan in the chest, throwing the ermine behind him. Perry sat up, but soon found himself gasping and choking as the other's tail wrapped tightly around his throat. Perry struggled to get the thing off, only to be choked even more. Breathing became near impossible as Perry tried to keep his concentration and reached for Ethan, the ermine stepping back ever so lightly to keep out of reach.

"Now stay STILL this time!", he sneered as he threw another punch at Perry, hitting him in the stomach.

Perry cried out in pain, or at least tried to. The Owca agents watched in horror as Ethan continued, toying with the platypus. Pinky felt horrible, seeing Perry in this state and had to turn his head away. Penny wasn't sure how much longer she could stay still and began to tap her foot impatiently, doing anything she could from leaping out of her seat. Even Peter was feeling bad about this as he watched from his corner in the room.

Ethan finally let go of the monotreme as Perry began to feel himself black out. The sudden intake of oxygen cause his mind to spin as the world darkened for a second. A second long enough to be kicked hard by the mammal and thrown across the floor. Perry gasped, holding his stomach in pain as he struggled to catch his breath. He coughed, a little blood pouring from his lips as Ethan began to walk towards him, unaffected by the fight.

Perry scrambled backwards, hoping to give himself enough time to recover before the mammal lunged at him again. The two tumbled across the floor for a moment and landed with Ethan easily pinning the platypus to the ground.

"I would expect better, from a platypus.", Ethan said quietly, coldly, the smirk was heard in his voice. "I can't see why Major Marshall was so intent on meeting your organization."

Perry struggled to break free but he was held too firmly. Sweat poured from him, mixing with the blood from his bill and he did everything he could to pull his arms out. Kicking, squirming, chattering all the while. What was this ermine made out of? Iron? But Perry managed to twist himself enough in Ethan's grip to turn onto his stomach. In which case he bucked, slapping the ermine with his tail, catching Ethan slightly by surprise. Enough surprise for Perry to wedge his arm out and reach behind him. He grabbed Ethan's shirt and pulled him forcibly forward, smashing the front of Ethan's snout into the back of his head again.

Ethan, slightly dazed by this, had allowed Perry's second arm to be pulled up to use and Perry pushed up, bucking the ermine off him. Ethan landed hard on the ground while Perry turned around, tail raised and teeth baring like a wild animal. Even his fur was messed, much like the ermine's as red gooey blood poured from his nose onto the clean, white coat. Ethan snarled, and wiped up the blood, glancing momentarily at it before getting back to the task at hand. He and Perry ventured to circle each other, Perry on all fours and Ethan on his hind feet. Things just got more serious than the platypus intended and he was momentarily happy that he DIDN'T say to use tools. Ethan jumped at Perry a bit, causing Perry to jump back, keeping distance. But then Perry did a hand-spring forward, soon landing on the ermine, kicking him in the face. As Ethan stumbled back, it was Perry's turn to pin him down, pushing his shoulders to the floor. But Ethan grabbed a hold of Perry's arms, his nails digging deep into the fur, tearing right into the flesh of his arms. Perry cried out in pain again and the mammal managed to push him off, moving a hand to his throat again. But this time, Perry wasn't going to stand for this as he reached up, choking the ermine back while also trying to push him off.

It was painful. Like Ethan's grip alone could crush a brick. His tail already felt like a boa constrictor but his actual hands were even worse. And the platypus wasn't sure he was doing as good as a job on the mammal. Ethan coughed a bit while being choked, his face contorted in pain for once in the fight. Nails were now digging into each other, it was a race to see who'd pass out first. Either from a lack of oxygen or from bloodshed.

Suddenly Perry was gasping for air again, recovering from a head rush of oxygen as Ethan picked himself off the floor and Peter stood scowling at the ermine.

"ENOUGH'S ENOUGH!", he declared. "We don't need DEAD agents!"

"PETER!", Perry scolded when he had recovered. "What the heck did ya do that for?!"

"I was saving your tail.", Peter informed.

"I DIDN'T ASK YOU TOO!", Perry shouted back when he noticed Peter holding out a hand to help him up. The platypus slapped the hand away and pushed himself up. "I DON'T need your help! I can do it on my OWN!"

"Yeah! It SURE looked like that!", Peter growled, scowling back at the platypus.

"Yeah well now thanks to you, I've lost!", Perry groaned.

"Whatcha talkin' about?!", Peter asked.

"An Owca agent had the nerve to cut into the fight.", Ethan informed, readjusting his uniform. "That shows disqualification on your side of the fight. Had a Bacon agent aided me, I'D be the one to lose, but that's what happens when you step out of line. By the way, Perry where'd you learn to fight? The Academy?"

"So thanks for nothing!", Perry growled, ignoring Ethan's insult.

"NOTHING?! I just saved-"

"ME the chance of disgracing MYSELF if that would EVER happen!", Perry interrupted. "But now we'll NEVER know! You're always butting into my life, Peter the Panda, I'm surprised you haven't tried to horn in on MY family life!"

Peter cringed a bit, as Perry continued to yell at him. But now Pinky and Penny had come up, waiting for a chance to help direct the harmed platypus to an infirmary.

"I never needed your help before and I never will, you retard!", Perry snapped out him.

_"'P-Perry, come on..'"_, Penny tried to encourage gently.

"And I only have YOU to thank for that!", he went on.

_"'Amigo, come on. Let's go.'"_, Pinky said, pulling on the platypus' arm now.

"Just like EVERYTHING else.", Perry said for a finish before being lead away.

Penny sighed a bit as she saw Pinky and Perry head off, but she stayed around long enough to hear Ethan's remarks on the fight.

"Well I supposed I should wash up before the blood stains, eh?", he noted to himself, wiping a bit of blood off his nose.

Penny only looked back at him in disgust and shook her head while saying, _"'Freak! You're BLEEDING and THAT'S all you think about?'"_

Ethan was already licking the red liquid off his paw when he turned to Penny and held it out while saying, "I'm sorry, did you want some?"

_"'EW!'"_, Penny groaned before storming off to catch up with the other two.

Peter made his way out as the rest of the crowd dispersed. While it normally didn't bother him, the name callings and the hatred between him and Perry it actually, for once, hurt. It hurt a lot. While he was on the train, he had thought more and more about Perry, about the consequences of what HE'S done to the platypus. Of course Perry hadn't forgotten, but Peter normally did until he saw Perry.

When they were younger agents, Peter was already labeled as a nobody while Perry made a dazzling show of his talents as a great recruit. Peter hated him deeply for such too. One day, Monogram had pulled Perry into his office to tell the platypup of his real upbringing, of being a nonanimal and such. Peter knew this because the platypup was of age to start being accepted into a host family and actually getting to fight crime. Same thing happened to Peter. While Perry was both nervous and excited about having a family, he was also scared to realize he wasn't like everyone. He was something everyone despised had they actually KNOWN what he was. Peter took advantage of these mixed up feelings by walking up to Perry and pretending to be friendly and wish him good luck When Perry asked why, he scared the platypus by listing a large number of reasons of where Perry could get into trouble very easily. Losing his family, losing his job, his nemesis torturing the people who took care of him, Monogram getting mad (which hasn't ever happened to Perry as much as Peter), lost paperwork, his family finding out his secret, and any of the agents knowing he was a nonanimal and the social banishment they would have with him. Perry was terrified to think of all this and hardly slept the next few days.

Peter had hoped to make amends when he had the chance. He saw the platypus in trouble, already starting to black out before the ermine, and was trying to help him. For once, he was trying to do a good thing instead of let Perry get himself hurt and possibly die, but it only ended up in more hatred. For once, everything that Perry said to him, hurt badly.

Something interesting of Peter's background, one that everyone in Owca already knew from when he was a cub, was that Peter had a knack for being destructive when he got mad. If you've ever over-thrown a trashcan or slammed a door, or kicked something solid, or broken a glass because you slammed it on the counter too hard, it's a close enough example to how Peter got when he got mad. Or in this case; hurt.

The panda reached his cubicle where the stinging hurt had continued internally, twisting into an unbearable burn that drove the panda close enough to madness. He looked about his workspace, just ITCHING to destroy something. And it wasn't that hard. Scattered papers, over turned desk, kicked aside trash can, all the while yelling and groaning angrily at every last little thing. Peter even threw his chair up out of the cubicle, hoping it would crush someone. He smashed a picture frame onto the floor, effectively shattering the glass and breaking the frame in half.

For it being a small workspace, Peter only had so much to break, but he stopped as he heard the shatter and panted a bit as he tried to control himself, staring at the broken glass on the floor.

Once calmed, the panda sighed and turned back up his trashcan and proceeded to picking up his mess. There really wasn't a point to destroying things. Nothing to accomplish. He just needed a vent. Of course though, he was sure that Ethan would punish him if he ever caught the panda's cubicle being this messy. It just...didn't seem fair. When Peter tried to do good, he only ended up doing bad. So what was he supposed to do? A question that has continued to plague him like leprosy for far too long.

Once he had the desk back up and the computer safely settled onto it, an agent happened by, Sakura the Red Panda to be precise, and she was carrying a chair.

_"'Hey, Peter?'"_, she mentioned. _"'I think this is yours. Having another one of your fits?'"_

_"'...Yeah.'"_, Peter nodded. _"'Thanks for..catching it.'"_

_"'Sure thing.'"_, she gave a polite smile and handed it over. _"'You're getting faster about cleaning up, ya know?'"_

_"'Am I? Well... Yeah I guess.'"_, the panda shrugged.

_"'So, what's the fit this time?'"_, she asked, leaning back on the doorway to his cubicle. When Peter was silent, she could only guess. _"'Ethan?'"_

_"'...Perry, really.'"_, he shrugged and sat in his chair when he noticed a curious look on her face. The panda sighed and decided to explain himself. _"'I've been thinking about how for so long, I've always hated him. Even from before he was hatched. And the more I thought about it, you know, REALLY thought about it, the more I realized...it's just cause I'm not him.'"_

_"'Jealousy?'"_

_"'Yeah... Kind of. I mean, I always looked at Perry as something that was supposed to replace me. Something that was supposed to be better than me, and I was resentful just because I wasn't like him. I was always in his shadow. When I tried to do something good, it only came out bad. And then he shows up and does it even better than me.'"_, Peter sighed. _"'But the more I thought, the more I came to realize, it isn't just cause Perry's TRYING to be better than me or that he was genetically bred to be better, it's because he wants to be better. He wants to be his best. He's actually more honorable than I've ever been, and that's been the real reason why he is better than me. He does his best for his family and friends, and even his nemesis. He's naturally good-hearted to people and always wants to give the 110% that hardly any of us care to give. I've realized, I don't really have any reason to hate him for being the best he is. I needed to encourage that if anything. Perry has his own troubles, possibly even more than yours and mine combined. Yet still, when I tried to help him, I only got shot down for it.'"_, the panda sighed once more._ "'It's a very frustrating thing; trying to make amends with your rival...'"_

Sakura, being the kind-hearted and slightly ditsy panda that she was, only smiled sympathetically to Peter's words. She may have not completely understood what all Peter was saying, but she was polite enough to try to offer some advice.

_"'...Maybe he just doesn't understand you were trying to help him.'"_, she shrugged. _"'Or that you wanna try to be friends with him.'"_

Peter seemed curious, but he looked up at the ceiling, thinking it over. She did have a point. It's not like Peter's ever tried to just admit that he was feeling remorseful for always messing with Perry. He smiled back at the red panda and got up.

_"'Thanks for stopping by, Sakura.'"_, he said as he got up. _"'Think you're right.'"_

_"'Yeah?'"_

_"'Yup. In fact, I think I'm gonna head over and explain myself to Perry right now.'"_, Peter nodded before going down the hall to Perry's cubicle.

The red panda smiled to herself as she watched Peter walk away, satisfied with another day's work of making a person happy, a personal mission she tries to accomplish on her own terms.

Perry and Pinky were walking down the hallways from the gym, Perry at an angry, quick pace. Penny soon caught up as Pinky and Perry continued to talk.

_"'You know, you didn't have to be like that.'"_, Pinky was saying. _"'Peter WAS trying to help you out for once.'"_

"I don't NEED his help! I've done perfectly fine without it for the last five years!", Perry was snapping back. "That panda is so infuriating!"

_"'Hey now, what's YOUR issue?!'"_, Pinky was asking, slightly alarmed and disgusted with Perry's attitude.

"I could've won that fight if I was given the chance.", Perry muttered. "And then Ethan wouldn't be top-dog around here."

_"'Perry!'"_, Pinky said, now getting in front of him. _"'Do you even HEAR yourself?! Did that fight get to your head or something!?'"_

Perry finally stopped and noticed what he was saying, how he was acting. He looked behind him, seeing Penny trail behind them. The female only looked at him, slightly shameful. Perry sighed a bit and brought a hand to his head.

_"'I'm sorry guys...'"_, he chattered. _"'There's something seriously weird around this place... It's like the moment the blood broke out...I dunno.. I can't keep Ethan and this whole thing the organization's got going on out of my head. It's so strict, I think it's contagious.'"_

_"'Perry, you're fine. You know you're not like Ethan.'"_, Penny said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Perry moved his hand from his head to his neck and rubbed at it sorely, pulling the paw back to see the blood. They continued walking, but then Perry turned down another direction. Pinky and Penny stopped at the intersection.

_"'Um... Amigo? The medical station's this way.'"_, Pinky said, pointing in the opposite direction.

_"'Perry?'"_

Following Perry, the trio arrived in his cubicle where Perry pulled out a first-aid kit. He began to clean himself, using the small mirror inside his desk to see the wounds.

_"'Oh come on, Amigo. I'm sure the infirmary isn't as bad as the rest of Bacon.'"_, Pinky said.

_"'I'd just rather clean it myself..'"_, Perry said, patting on the hydrogen peroxide he dabbed onto a cotton ball.

He winced a bit as the medicine stung and Penny sighed a bit, seeing him like this. But even then, Perry still seemed to be in a bad mood as the blood reminded him of Ethan. He cleaned himself up, and Pinky and Penny could see it in his actions. How forcefully he sat the tools down, almost slamming them onto the desk, the huffs he would give as the medicine stung.

_"'Perry are you alright?'"_, Penny asked.

_"'I'm FINE.'"_, he growled.

_"'Amigo, what's wrong? Are you STILL in fight or flight mode?'"_, Pinky asked.

Perry sighed a bit, trying to calm himself down.

_"'...Sorry..'"_, he said quietly.

_"'Perry, when you get on autopilot, you're ALWAYS on fight mode.'"_, Penny chuckled.

_"'Sorry for ignoring you guys.'"_, Perry apologized.

_"'You're alright.'"_, Pinky reassured.

Just then a seagull came into the room and Perry looked over, slightly curious.

_"'I've got the details here for you, Agent P-er...Perry.'"_, Sally the Seagull said, pulling out a folder from under her fedora.

Perry practically snatched them out of her hands and looked over the labeling carefully. Monogram's signature, neatly as every, traced the bottom and he felt both relief and worry.

_"'That'll do. You're dismissed.'"_, he said, turning away from her as he focused on the folder in his hands.

_"'A..are you sure?'"_, Sally asked. _"'You seem a bit-'"_

Perry scowled over his shoulder at her coldly and the seagull quickly headed out.

_"'Yeah see li-'"_, Pinky began before being interrupted.

_"'YES!'"_, Perry said in excitement.

He sat down at his desk, excited, but slightly nervous at the folder in his hands.

_"'Perry, what's that?'"_, Penny asked.

He stared at it for only a moment to prepare himself before opening it up and reading through the content quickly. Penny and Pinky merely shrugged at each other. After burying his face behind the paper, Perry stopped. He slowly lowered the paper to the desk, a fearful expression across his face.

'It couldn't be...', he thought to himself.

He quickly pushed his chair back from the desk, spinning around to a filing cabinet that he opened up, pulled out his tools, and shoved them under his fedora.

_"'Perry the Platypus?'"_, Penny asked again, trying to catch his attention.

_"'Amigo, what are you-?'"_

_"'I'm leaving.'"_, he said, now getting up and trying to get a coat on.

_"'WHAT?!'"_, they exclaimed.

Peter, who had been walking along the hallways, stopped nearby Perry's cubicle as he heard the platypus explain.

_"'I gotta get out of here. NOW.'"_, he was saying, now looking for gloves against the snow outside.

_"'Why? What's this folder?'"_, Pinky asked, picking it up.

_"'NO!'"_, Perry snatched it away but it was already too late.

Pinky read the last words at the bottom and stood there, expressionless as Perry cringed. After a moment to allow his brain to register the words, the dog looked back at Perry. His eyes became wide and he slowly shook his head, his tail curling up between his legs as he took a step back.

_"'N...no...'"_, Pinky said quietly, tears starting to surface. _"'No.. N-no!'"_

_"'NO.'"_, Perry agreed, stepping up and taking the shivering dog by the shoulder. _"'That's why I'm leaving.'"_

Pinky turned on Penny now angry as she finished reading the file herself.

_"'WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US THE CABOOSE BLEW UP?!'"_, he growled viciously.

Penny jumped back at the accusatory tone and started to panic.

_"'I-I-I didn't know!'"_, she said. _"'I-! Oh my goodness, Perry! I'm so sorry! I didn't know! I didn't know at the time! I'm sorry!'"_

_"'Whoa, alright calm down!'"_, Perry said, getting between them as tears poured out from the dog and the platygirl before a fight broke out. _"'Penny, it was an accident. You didn't know Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet were on the caboose. I WISH you had told me that Monogram unhooked it when I asked you. Pinky, I know my boys. They're smarter than to let themselves get blown up by a box car. I can safely reassure you that ALL the kids, including Isabella, are unscathed.'"_

_"'But they're out there in the wilderness of Canada, trying to find US of all people!'"_, Pinky whimpered.

_"'I know. That's why I'M going. I'm already sick of this place. I'm tired of these war-rules. And between us, Ethan kinda creeps me out anyway.'"_, Perry said. _"'I'M going to go find them before something bad happens.'"_

_"'You mean, WE'RE going to go find them.'"_, Pinky insisted, putting a paw on Perry's shoulder. _"'Not just cause we're bros, but because of my family too. I miss her just as badly as you miss the boys. I'm going to.'"_

_"'Pinky, I hate to sound sarcastic, but I gotta break it to you. You're a chihuahua. You CAN NOT survive the Winter back home, what on earth makes you think I'm gonna let you trudge around in CANADA?'"_, Perry scoffed.

_"'Because I'M gonna go with you, whether you like it or not!'"_, Pinky insisted. _"'I'll bundle up. I'm not gonna wuss out because of a little snow.'"_

_"'Me neither.'"_, Penny decided, causing Perry to look back at her curiously. _"'It's my fault this all happened. I gotta help you guys fix it up. Besides, with YOU two, you NEED a girl's help on this.'"_

Perry chuckled a bit, knowing Penny was right. The trio agreed to leave after Pinky and Penny bundle up and get themselves ready.

_"'Question.'"_, Penny asked before they left the cubicle. _"'How are we gonna get out of here?'"_

_"'There's only ONE person I know who would be on our side.'"_, Perry smirked. _"'Our ever beloved mother.'"_

_"'Please don't call Carl that.'"_, Pinky whimpered, sticking out his tongue in disgust. _"'It's just... It's so wrong, thinking.'"_

_"'Come on.'"_, Perry chuckled and the trio sat off. _"'Grab your F.A.T. and let's get outta here.'"_

Peter came out from his hiding spot in the shadows as he saw them race off in the opposite direction.

'...I should tell someone about this...', he noted to himself

The panda started to walk off in another direction when he slowed down as his thoughts continued.

'...But why should I always stick my nose in Perry's business?', he thought slyly to himself, picking up the pace. 'Who's to say I'M supposed to be a part of this?'

Meanwhile, as the kids rode along in silence, while Doofenshmirtz continued to drive, the man couldn't help but worry. He kept glancing back at Phineas, his fear growing by the glance. The child seemed so deep in thought, worried one moment and then stern the next. What could he do to change the child's mood? Maybe Candace was right. Maybe he should tell Phineas. Maybe there was something about Perry's secret agent life that would cheer Phineas up. Or something about what it was like BEFORE Heinz left. Or perhaps Phineas wouldn't want to hear. Who wanted to hear his ramblings anyway? Not even Perry the Platypus really cared. No one did. Maybe Phineas was so upset because of him. Maybe, despite all he would try to do, it'll only push Phineas further away, just like Vanessa. Maybe he was going to throw up from all these thoughts. Maybe...

They pulled up to a red light.

"Dr. D?"

"AAH!", Doof yelped with a jump as he sat straight up in his seat when he heard Phineas' voice.

"...Sorry.", Phineas apologized, slightly embarrassed that he scared the driver.

Heinz held a hand to his beating heart, trying to calm down, before he answered, "Ye- uh.. Yes, Phineas?"

"Um.. I was just... Well I was wondering..", Phineas said, a slightly worried look on his face.

"..Yes?", Heinz nodded, waiting to hear the rest.

"...D..Do you mean to...to hurt Perry? Wh-when you guys um...fight?", Phineas asked.

It couldn't have been a worse question. Because the obvious answer would be "yes" since Doof and Perry ARE trying to get rid of each other. But to say that, would break Phineas' heart and to say "no" would be even more lies.

"...Not...always the way you would think...", Heinz tried to say, earning a raised eyebrow. "I...he... Well it's... It's kinda like this. The normal routine we go through? He would come over, get trapped in a cage, a jar, a vase, a chef's hat, marshmallow or something. Don't ask. Anyway. He's trapped. I tell him some tragic back story or reason of my evil scheme, I start up the inator- my evil inventions are always tagged with inator-, he escapes, and we fight. Yes. We do fight. But WERE we ever to cause each other to bleed or break a bone, or like one time when Perry the Platypus fell into a sandpaper factory? We'd feel guilty for hurting each other THAT much. We don't mean to. We don't want to. A black eye, a bruise, a broken nose on my part, it's totally fine. It's just standard fighting. Otherwise? No. We actually get along quite nicely."

"How so?", Candace asked, hoping to bring some good words for Doof into the conversation.

"Oh, we chat, eat lunch, heck. Sometimes, Perry the Platypus even helps me feel better about some of my back stories and troubles.", Doof shrugged. "I know, you guys probably think he's a normal platypus that can't do much, but trust me. Perry the Platypus is... Well he's pretty human, I'll say that. Even if he can't speak. He lets you know what he's thinking. ...As I've learned the hard way once or twice..."

"...hard way?", Phineas asked, slightly uneasily.

Doof shook his head dismissively.

"It's...It's nothing...", he said. "Anyway. We fight each other. We hate each other, but yeah. Perry the Platypus and I get along quite nicely."

"Weird..", Isabella remarked, earning a simple shrug from the older.

Phineas simply sighed though. He didn't like it. He didn't like the idea of his platypus fighting this person on a daily basis, behind their backs, and being so much cooler sounding and more anthropomorphic than he ever let on! It's like Perry didn't trust him. Didn't trust him enough to let him know, even in secret, what it was that he was doing constantly. And it only confirmed his worries earlier. The whole situation was much more important than a kidnapping.

But as they drove along, all of a sudden, the car came to a sudden stop as snow was slung onto the side of the windshield, surprising the driver and Norm at the same time.

Heinz came out of the car and turned angrily on his attacker.

"Holy doonkleberries, you brat! What on earth was that for?!", he yelled angrily.

"What on earth are you doing on my aunt's property you pig!", the young girl yelled back angrily with a French accent.

"Brigitte?", Buford asked, poking his head out the window.

"Buford?", Brigitte gasped.

"You know each other?", Heinz asked curiously.

Buford wasted no time at all in opening the doors and soon the kids came out to greet their French Fireside Girlscout friend.

"Brigitte, whatcha doin here?", Isabella asked.

"Visiting my Aunt Lyla, here in Canada.", she replied. "What are you all doing here?"

Ferb gave a violent sneeze as he had started doing recently and Brigitte gasped.

"Sacre blue! Is he sick?!", she then turned angrily on Buford. "You careless idiot! Why are you traveling in Canada when someone is clearly sick!? Hurry up, get him inside before he catches pneumonia!"

"I told you!", Phineas said, making Ferb sigh.

He was quickly ushered into the house with the others. But as the group walked, Buford and Brigitte held back, continuing their argument in French as Isabella explained their link to Brigitte to Heinz.

_"I missed you a whole lot!"_, Brigitte shot at him angrily to keep the conversation sounding hateful.

_"Well I missed you more!"_, he retorted.

_"No you didn't!"_, she shot back.

_"Yes I did!"_

_"No you didn't!"_

_"Yes I did!"_

_"You're a loving idiot, do you know that?"_, Brigitte said.

_"And you're an amazing woman."_, Buford replied, folding his arms across his chest.

* * *

_Laura: Lol. In case if anyone's confused, Buford and Brigitte are saying they love each other, but they're talking in French so no one understands what they're saying and they're making it sound angry so that no one can tell that two people from different countries and social statuses are actually in love when they should really be hating each other. ...This is just our take on the couple. X3 And yes, Lyla Lalabarry is Brigitte's aunt in our views for this story._


	12. Chapter 12

Everyone was inside and settled by a fire when Brigitte's aunt came out. Heinz nearly jumped out of his chair at the sight.

"Agent Lyla Lalaberry?!", he exclaimed.

"Dr. Doofenshmirtz?!", she exclaimed at the same time.

"Aunt Lyla, you two know each other?", Brigitte asked.

"Yes. He's my expartner's nemesis.", Lyla explained.

She then noticed Phineas and Ferb and recognized them instantly. But Doof knew the surprised look on her face and quickly stood up to explain himself.

"I'm helping them get Perry the Platypus back.", Heinz explained. "Didn't kidnap them or anything."

"Back?", Lyla asked as her eyebrows furrowed together in suspicion.

"Yeah. I-", Doof paused. "...didn't you know? I mean, holy cow! You're a part of Owca, aren't you?"

"Well yeah.", Lyla said. "Cowca? The Canadian Organization without a Cool Acronym?"

"Well then don't you know?"

"Know what?"

"I took over the Tri-State Area!", Heinz exclaimed.

It earned him a punch in the face from the secret agent and he stumbled back, holding his bleeding nose.

"OW! I WON it!", he said, flinching as she advanced on him. "I got it legally!"

"Who in their right minds would give away the ENTIRE Tri-State Area?", she asked, picking him up by the lapels of his lab coat.

"HEY!", Candace interrupted. "I came close to being mayor for a day because of a contest! Which, in turn, could make me ruler of the Tri-State Area."

Lyla looked back at Candace momentarily before dropping Doofenshmirtz who hit the floor with a thud.

"Ow...", Heinz rubbed his back.

"Start talking.", she ordered.

"I took over the Tri-State Area and banned Owca. Then Monobrow-"

"MONOGRAM.", she corrected.

"FRANCIS...", Heinz shot back in defiance of being told what to say by her. "...decided..to go ahead and gather up all the agents and run off to here. We've been following Perry the Platypus' DNA until your little niece there stopped us."

"So then how come Cowca hasn't been told anything?", she asked.

"We're not entirely sure.", Phineas shrugged. "The whole Owca thing is still confusing to us."

"..I'll have to investigate this..", Lyla deducted, heading off to her office.

"Wait for me!", Doof said, following after her.

Candace followed too and Brigitte gave Ferb directions to the guest room so he could rest. Buford then turned to Brigitte.

"Soo...", he said slowly.

"...outside?", she asked.

"How come you have to be right about everything?! Including my OWN THOUGHTS?!", Buford started in English before the two were at it again in French and started heading out the door.

Baljeet groaned, seeing them and knowing the hidden relationship and started walking out of the room.

"I am going to see what the adults are doing.", he said.

And Phineas and Isabella were left alone. On the couch, in front of a fire. The ideal romantic spot for Isabella's mind to jump towards, but the earlier conversation came back at them like an explosion and left them in a helpless state of awkwardness. For the first good while, neither one spoke. They were both consumed in a mental frenzy of emotions. Fear and slight interest raged internally against logic and even more fear of the unknown, slowly driving both mad as they avoided all means of eye contact.

_"I actually enjoyed it."_, the statement continued to ring in their minds.

'She likes that? She really liked being that close to me? In that awkward and lovey-dovey position?', Phineas questioned internally. 'What if I told her I did too? Would she be happy with that? Or what if she was trying to say it to sound polite, but found it sounding awkward, and actually ended up not liking me at all? Why am I the one who's not only secretly in love with, but also best friends with the cutest living creature in the whole galaxy?! Why do I have to keep playing oblivious?! Cause I'm so nervous that if I TELL her what I actually feel, she'll reject me... I'd give nothing more than for-'

'-him to snuggle up with me again in front of this beautiful fire and at LEAST momentarily forget the whole situation we're in!', Isabella was thinking at the same time. 'Of course though, knowing him AND my luck, he's either too busy thinking about Perry or we'll FINALLY get that chance but I'M gonna be the one to break it up... Why am I the one who's not only in love with, but also best friends with one of the most caring living creatures in the entire galaxy?! Maybe I should just tell him now, get it over with, and FINALLY move on past all this! What's worse? Internally screaming at the top of my lungs every time he's oblivious or I miss an opportunity, continuing to curse myself for doing so and giving me gray hair before I'm even 20...'

'..Or finally saying how I feel and accepting with whatever she says and move ON!?', Phineas questioned. 'I can't keep hiding from her, cause I'm pretty sure it's only going to get more and more awkward! And I wouldn't want that to happen. She's my best friend, I'm sure she wouldn't laugh in my face or turn me down harshly or anything... It's just...'

'I don't want to end up crying my eyes out if I find out that he..'

'...doesn't...'

'..like me back..', they both thought at the same time.

Phineas gave a silent sigh, knowing he'd have to be the one to break the silence and began, "Um.. Isabella?"

She glanced at him a moment and gave a nod.

"...Wh...what..were you saying? Back..back at the gas station?", he asked, hesitantly.

Isabella's face, of course, became bright red and Phineas went on to help move past the awkward as best as possible.

"Y-you said you..", he began.

"..liked it.. yeah.", she gave a small nod.

"...Do you?"

"...yes...", she uttered quietly before quickly covering over her reasons. "But that's only cause it was warm and nice a-and we were in the snow and I'm a girl and used to snuggling with Pinky and all."

"Well yeah. I mean, hey! I'm a boy and I snuggle up to Perry and all. It's just that-", Phineas was saying before he shrugged, unsure of what word he was looking for now.

"It's awkward?", she guessed.

"Yeah cause you know we're..."

"A boy and a girl who aren't related?"

Phineas paused for a moment, the sudden image of him and her kissing very passionately fluttering through his mind at the wording.

"...I was gonna say, 'best friends' but...", he said, feeling his cheeks grow warm again.

"...So... So we're nothing more than that?", Isabella asked, trying to keep the hurt out of voice. "Best friends?"

"...Were... What? Were you expecting something more?", Phineas asked, slightly confused.

Isabella's eyes widened at this question and she quickly shook her head.

"N-no! No no no no!"

"Yeah I wasn't so-"

"Aw, no. I mean what-?"

"That'd be really weird and all."

"Pfft! Yeah! I know, right?", Isabella finished with a nervous chuckle.

The silence rested on them again before Phineas looked off and asked curiously, "I wonder how things are with Dr. D?"

Isabella shrugged.

"Who knows?"

"...Is it just me, or does he sound...familiar to you?", Phineas asked.

Isabella pondered this a moment but simply shrugged again, absolutely clueless.

With Doofenshmirtz, Candace, Baljeet, and Lyla, the foursome were huddled over a computer as Lyla typed away on it.

"Let's see..", she was saying.

She logged into the computer and clicked on the internet icon. She leaned back in her chair and sighed a bit, taking her mug from nearby and sipping away at the coffee.

"...Where is it?", Baljeet asked.

"Oh this thing's SLOOW.", Lyla commented on. "I JUST woke it back up. It'll take...about five or ten minutes for the window to come up."

"WHAT?!", everyone gaped.

"What kind of a computer IS this?!", Baljeet exclaimed.

"It's ten years old.", she shrugged. "It just takes a while."

"Oh my gosh, TEN YEARS?!", Candace gasped.

"And still faithful!", Lyla smiled, patting the large monitor. "Call it Li'l Trooper. Poor thing.." She leaned over to Doofenshmirtz as she gently whispered, as if trying not to offend said computer, "It's a little senial. Pops up windows that you didn't click on."

All of a sudden, her "My Pictures" folder opened up, followed by a window apologizing for a setup not working.

"See?", she said, clicking a blank piece of the screen.

When the screen seemed settled to her, she clicked the "x" on the setup, and then moved her mouse to do the same to the folder.

"Whoa whoa, hold on!", Candace said, putting a hand in front of her. "Is that PERRY? As in, OUR Perry?"

Below a few oddly titled folders consisting of "x"s and numbers, there were several pictures of the platypus in action and a good majority of them Photoshopped with little sparkles or hearts around it. Lyla remained silent in shock as the others took a closer look.

"What on earth is that?!", Doofenshmirtz asked as Lyla felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Nothing!", she quickly said, closing the window and turning off the monitor as she waited for it to clear up.

She sat back in her chair, more upright than before. She could feel Heinz's wide smirk digging into her.

"...PARTNERS, eh?", he asked.

"EXpartners!", she snapped back in embarrassment.

"Oh I see why it's ex now.", he chuckled.

"Expartners cause I was a little too ditzy for him!", she retorted.

"Too ditzy, or too distracted with other things?", Doof continued his verbal torment.

"Doofenshmirtz! I'm warning you-!", she said, getting up.

"You, sit! NOW!", Candace ordered, standing in defense of her father.

Lyla stared with wide eyes at the teenage girl but quickly did as told. Doof opened his mouth to say a "thanks", but Candace quickly turned on him, jabbing an accusing finger into his chest.

"Don't EVEN get me started with you!", she warned, bewildering the other.

After a moment's hesitation, she turned the monitor back on and found the windows were cleared and that the internet window had popped up. It opened to google and she quickly typed in "Owca. com". After some moments of endless waiting, about the time that Phineas had finally started talking to Isabella at first, the windows finally changed and what was found surprised the agent.

"'We're sorry. We can't help you at this time'?", she repeated allowed.

She checked her connection, found it was still going, and retried the address, this time typing in "Owca. net". The same result appeared and it started to worry the agent.

"Wh-?", she stammered, shaking her head a bit.

"Maintenance?", Candace asked.

"No. Something's wrong..", she said, typing back in the first address.

With the same result, Lyla sat back, slightly horrified at the sight of the screen.

"Someone took down the sites..", she deducted.

"Why?", Baljeet asked.

"I don't know! I don't know about anything that's happening right now!", Lyla exclaimed, starting to panic.

She quickly opened up more public resources, such as twitter and facebook and the like. But all of the Owca-based pages, from Canada to Africa, were all gone. Even youtube videos were taken down. She growled a bit in frustration.

"Darn you, Carl! Why are you so darn fast about this?!", she cursed.

"Whoa, Lyla. Chill.", Heinz said.

"I'm freaked!", she snapped back. "I've got no clue as to what the heck's going on! All our websites, they're gone! Every one of them!"

"Well if they're gone, what would happen to them?", Candace asked.

"...I'm not sure..", Lyla sighed. "I haven't the faintest idea what's happening..."

"Um, excuse me? Lyla?", Baljeet said, pulling out a pink envelope. "Is this a clue?"

Lyla took a glance at it and quickly snatched it when she saw the Cowca address. She stared at it for a moment, wondering what it was doing in a trash can, before ripping it open and reading through it. She gasped reading it and flopped back in her chair in pure shock.

"...Lyla?", Heinz began slowly, gently reaching a hand to her shoulder.

"...I'm fired.", she said with a melancholic tone. "...Aside from that, all of Owca has been...disbanded."

"Disbanded?", Doof asked in shock. "W-well what would happen?!"

Lyla shook her head with a shrug.

"What would Francis do?!", Heinz continued to ask. "Lyla, surely YOU could GUESS?"

Lyla wracked her brains. It didn't make any sense. First the most hated person in Perry's sector taking over the Tri-State Area, then Owca being disbanded, no one of Cowca knowing anything about this or alerting her of what was happening... Nothing was making any sense. And Monogram.. What was he thinking?! What could be going on?

"...The only thing I could guess of Major Monogram...", she shrugged. "He's known secret agency all his life! All Monograms have! It wouldn't make sense for him to suddenly destroy the whole thing. Especially if they're all gathered here in Canada..."

"Then, what? Are there any other organizations in Canada?", Candace asked.

"...Must be.", Lyla shrugged. "Other than the ones that we work against."

"Do you know any?", Baljeet pressed on.

"Well... The only one I can think of... But Owca wouldn't join them.", Lyla shook her head.

"Who? Who?", Candace encouraged.

"Well there is ONE organization I can think of. But they're all scientists. Prissy, stuck-up snobs only wanting to harm the better good of nature with genetically engineered animals and the like.", Lyla rolled her eyes and lolled out her tongue in disgust. "The Biologically Advanced Creatures Opposing Ne'erdowells. Yeah. Bacon. Go figure. They think they're gonna benefit all of mankind with whatever research it is they're doing, but please! We're all made just the way we are because we're supposed to be this way, not because we're forced to be so from radiation. Anyway, Owca wouldn't bother joining THEM. We're all ran by purely natural animals. Not G.E.A.s."

"Well we oughta try it anyway.", Heinz shrugged. "There's no where else to look for, is there?"

"...I suppose so..", Lyla sighed. "I'll draw up the directions for ya."

Meanwhile, outside in the snow, Buford backed up from Brigitte a bit, nearing a tree, with a wide smile as he donned a top hat.

"WELLLLL...!", he began to sing when suddenly a mound of snow fell on top of him from the branches.

Brigitte laughed a bit as the bully emerged from the snow with a tight scowl.

"...It's been Summer for so long.. I forgot how cold, COLD was..", he grumbled.

Brigitte offered a hand and helped pull him up to his feet.

"Maybe we can skip the serenades?", she suggested earning a sigh and a nod.

They walked on, deeper into the property. Hand in hand, talking and laughing as they went on. But as time wore on, Brigitte couldn't help but look up, seeing the aurora broealis when she sighed and glanced back at the ground. It was getting late and it was nearing time for them to start heading back in.

"Brigitte? What's wrong?", Buford asked, slightly disappointed to see his girlfriend down.

"...Isn't it kinda weird that we act so differently when we're alone, as opposed to being amongst friends and family?", she said. "I mean, Buford. I like seeing you like this. Loving and caring, like back when we first met in France."

"Mm.. I guess.", Buford shrugged. "But we don't really act the same way from when we're around each other to when we're around...our parents or something."

"Well NO, duh.", Brigitte rolled her eyes. "It's just... I know that we French have the reputation of being rude, but slapping you across the face DOES start to become boring.."

"You're telling ME.", Buford said, rubbing the side of his face. "But you and I both know we'd be socially destroyed if people caught us being together like this."

"I know...", Brigitte sighed a bit.

It was the only time she didn't mind showing something past her tough attitude, being around Buford and all. And she would ask something about Americans being all about 'be yourself' and everything, but it wouldn't really help considering that Buford was actually French like herself and was only IN France to visit his grandparents at the time they first met. She leaned a bit into her secret boyfriend as a chilly gust of wind blew by.

"Just kind of wish we could be together more often...", she said quietly.

"Well...", Buford trailed off, starting to come at an end of what to say. "I guess that's what they mean by, 'we'll always have Paris'."

Brigitte smiled a bit and backed up, sneering at him.

"You DO know that's a really corny line, right?", she asked.

"Eeh...", Buford shrugged. "Didn't really have a lot to say there."

"You could've just kissed me.", she said.

Buford took the hint and leaned down to kiss her. Happy with this, Brigitte wrapped her arms around him, kissing back as they stood there. Hearts beating fast, cheeks radiating with heat to keep the other warm, knee deep in snow, and hidden from the world in the dark so they could only see one another with the lights dancing above their heads.

* * *

_Laura: Sue me if you wanna, but for some reason, I just love shipping this couple! X33 It's almost as fun as Montenny!_

_Amber: After all, it COULD be weirder.. like.. Doof and Lyla.. O_o (ThatwasanodddreamX_x) *clears throat*_


	13. Chapter 13

In the cabin, Phineas and Isabella had eaten dinner with the others and were back to sitting on the couch while Baljeet went to check on Ferb. Candace couldn't help but notice how relaxed the two were, Phineas' arm wrapped around behind her as they laid back on the couch and took a look at Doofenshmirtz who also noticed. She nodded to the kitchen and they headed off to continue talking.

"What's up, Candace?", he asked as they got out of earshot.

"I think you should tell him.", Candace confronted, earning a wide-eyed look in response. "For pity's sake Dad! Things keep getting more and more serious by the moment! If you don't tell him now, who knows when you'll EVER have another opportunity?"

"Candace, there's PLENTY of opportunities in life for me to tell him.", Heinz said defensively. "It can wait! He's happy at the moment and I'M not gonna-"

"Prove that you're a man instead of a schnitzel?", Candace interrupted with a dirty glare.

The verbal slap stung harshly into Doofenshmirtz and the man cringed at hearing it.

"Candace..", he sighed, almost whined.

"I'm not telling you that you HAVE to tell him now, but while he IS in a pleasant mood, would normally be a great time to let him know!", she said.

"Well yeah but-"

"I mean if you really trusted me...", Candace rambled on. "You would take my advice, wouldn't you?"

"But Canda-"

"So take my advice and go talk to your son! He needs to know you're alive!", she went on. "Not just because it's a wonderful thing to know your father's alive, but also so it doesn't look so creepy that a 15 year-old was alone with a 40-whatever year-old 'stranger', and that he would also know that you actually care about HIM, not just-"

"CANDACE!", Doof finally shouted, surprising the other. "I can handle a situation on my own! I've BEEN handling situations on my own since I was born! LITERALLY! I do NOT need you to start commandeering MY life! I'm 47, your 15! I may be a dumkoph, but I DO know just a BIT more than you do!"

Candace backed up a bit, surprised and slightly fearful, of her dad barking down at her like this. Doof took this as an opportunity to calm back down and explain what he was trying to say.

"..Candace, I'm sorry for yelling at you like that.", he began. "But please, hear me out. I'm finally getting a chance to be with Phineas. And I know, I should tell him. I will, eventually. But look at him. He's so happy, not just right now, but internally happier. He takes everything so good, so much better than I am. I WILL tell him. But at the moment, while he's in a pleasant mood and things are getting more and more serious by the moment, I'm sorry but I can't. I don't want to ruin it right now. He's going to need this optimism."

Candace sighed a bit and hung her head. She knew she wouldn't be able to convince him, but she still wanted to try. He still had no idea how important he was to Phineas as a father. But he was probably going to find out very soon.

With Phineas and Isabella, however, the conversation was very diverse, but just as serious as Phineas continued to watch the flames in the fire place. He wasn't really staring at the fire, as he was watching memories go by of Perry and being the normal platypus he loved and knew. He tried to imagine what Perry would be like, as a secret agent. It was harder to imagine him fighting anybody. At the very least, he kept remembering when Perry was a sponsor pet for Totally Tools and how brilliant he looked in a fedora. And aside from that, Phineas thought back to when he buried what he thought was Perry in the backyard. He remembered how much it hurt him, thinking his platypus was dead. How it was all for his job. It almost crushed his heart, just thinking about it. Isabella couldn't help but notice Phineas' worry and became slightly concerned herself.

"Phineas?", she asked quietly.

"...I'm sorry..", Phineas began, shaking his head a bit. "It's just... Do you know what it's like to think your pet...your best friend...had died?"

"...I can take a good guess.", she said.

"I doubt that."

"Well, Phineas, think about it.", Isabella said, sitting up a bit more now. "I thought my dog died after he ran away from home. Sick, killed, kicked, poisoned, ran over, I had nightmares. I think I can say I know what it's like to think my best friend died."

Phineas gave a sheepish grin but then went back to frowning and sighed a bit.

"...I know it'll be alright..", he began, leaning back onto the arm of the couch behind him. "...I just wish I knew what Perry was really thinking..."

Isabella hugged him reassuringly.

"I'm sure he misses you as much as you miss him..", she said.

"...You think?"

"Yes. Yes I do."

Phineas hugged her back, nuzzling his nose into her hair again. Suddenly, the hour of the day was taking affect on the two as Phineas felt very comfortable and began dozing off as he stroked the young girl's hair.

"...It'll be alright.", he repeated.

"Yes."

"Everything will turn out for the best..."

"Yup."

"...It'll be okay.."

Isabella had fallen asleep first on him and Phineas noticed. He smiled a bit, seeing her curl up to him, bringing her feet onto the couch as well. He curled up with her and fell asleep himself, happy to be with her.

"Alright! Fine! Fine fine fine, I'll TELL him NOW!", Heinz groaned as he started heading into the room.

He stopped, seeing just the peak of Phineas' hair over top the couch.

"Well it's about-", Candace was saying before being stopped abruptly from the other.

"Shh!"

Doof nodded over to Phineas and the two crept closer to find the kids fast asleep. Doof shot a triumphant, and rather childish smirk at Candace who simply sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Alright. Fine. Whatever.", she said quietly, heading off. "I'm going to bed."

Doof covered over Phineas and Isabella with the blanket from the back of the couch and retired for the night as well. Buford and Brigitte also came into the room, left the other two alone, and headed their separate ways to bed themselves.

The next morning, when Isabella awoke, she hugged tightly the thing she was holding and smiled. She remembered last night, making her smile even more, and looked up at Phineas. But when she looked up, he was already looking down and she lifted herself off of him a bit in surprise. But Phineas kept his gentle smile and she relaxed and nuzzled back against him. Happy to know he was taking this good.

"MORNING!", Buford suddenly rang out, causing the two to push off each other and get away as far as possible in bright red embarrassment.

"WE WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING!", they both exclaimed.

Buford looked at them curiously before smiling widely.

"SURE you weren't.", he chuckled.

"YEAH! We weren't!", Phineas said, tossing a throw-pillow at him.

Ferb came out then as Buford laughed being hit by a pillow and looked between them curiously.

"Phineas and Isabella.", Buford filled him in.

Ferb looked at his brother and best friend on the couch.

"WE-!", Phineas started to explain before Ferb held up a hand halting.

"I do NOT have time for your snogging stories, Phineas.", he said, making Buford laugh harder, Isabella turn red, and Phineas could only SEE red.

"YOU little...!", Phineas snarled before grabbing a second pillow and leaping over the back of the couch.

Ferb took off running with his brother right on his tail and soon had to cover his head as the pillow hit him hard. The boys ran into the kitchen where Lyla was already making breakfast. The secret agent back flipped to avoid them, landing perfectly safe on the counter behind her in time to catch the toaster popping.

"Settle down, SETTLE DOWN!", she called out warningly as they raced across the kitchen.

But with socked feet, Ferb tripped and ended up sliding into the fridge soon followed by his brother crashing right into him, just the same.

"See, now what did I tell ya?!", she said, getting back down, still buttering the toast while doing so.

Hearing the crash, Doofenshmirtz was soon in the kitchen himself in alarm.

"Oh my gosh! What the-!?", he was starting to say when Phineas interrupted him by continuing to hit his brother.

"THAT'S for saying the word Mom and Dad banned from the house!", Phineas said, smacking him with each sentence. "THAT'S for embarrassing me! And THAT'S just! To! Make! You! LAUGH!"

Ferb continued to laugh and cover his head while Phineas hit him and Phineas soon began to laugh himself and sat the pillow aside. Doof dropped his shoulders and jaw in shock, seeing them laugh. His heart still thumping in his ears as he feared his son was hating his brother. Oh yes. He remembered ROGER embarrassing him in the EXACT same manner. ...Well maybe not by saying "snogging", but the meaning was still the same. What was worse was that Heinz didn't have a pillow nearby, he had a bat. And Roger wasn't the one who ended up physically in pain.

"..Are you two alright?", he asked when he recovered his shock.

"Yeah.", Phineas giggled as he calmed down again. "I'm sorry, bro."

Ferb gave a nod and Phineas perked up a bit, a question coming to mind as he asked, "Hey! Did you break your fever?"

Ferb gave another nod and Phineas internally relaxed as he beamed happily at his brother.

"Well that's good news.", Lyla was saying as she continued to work in the kitchen. "Cause breakfast's ready and I would hate to see it go to waste if Ferb couldn't hold it down."

"Awesome!", Phineas said. "It smells great!"

Everyone sat down to a breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon, as the grown-ups continued to talk out what all was going to happen, concerning the day.

"Right. The last I heard it was SOMEWHERE around the Rockies just a bit on the east side which is directly west from here.", Lyla was saying with a nod. "Though where specifically, no one really knows."

"Here's a question.", Candace asked. "Why is it called Biologically Advanced Creatures OPPOSING NE'ERDOWELLS? Doesn't that mean they fight crime?"

"Well... Technically YES. But only the smaller cases.", Lyla was saying as she continued to eat. "They're kind of the rivals of Cowca, on that note."

"Is it possible they're after your job?", Heinz asked. "Trying to form some sort of a...a unity between the organizations?"

"Who knows? They all keep to themselves. I just overhear hear a few things when THEIR agents try to bust in on MY turf.", she growled, punching the table in slight indignation.

"Eeesh... Really?", Doof asked.

"Yup.", she said, picking up her coffee and taking a sip off of it.

When breakfast was done and cleared, it was time to pack it up and head out again. Phineas and Ferb stepped out onto the porch, but Phineas stopped his brother, slightly concerned.

"Are you SURE you're alright?", Phineas asked. "Cause we can always send you home or something."

"Phineas, I'm fine.", Ferb reassured and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Perry's OUR family. We need to find him."

Phineas smiled a bit, slightly reassured and gave a nod. As the others got ready to leave, Lyla held Doof back for a moment, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Um, are you guys SURE you wanna go mess with Bacon?", she asked. "I mean, who's to say that they have something to do with it anyway?"

"Well.. Maybe they don't have anything to do with it, but it's the only other place we know to look at. Otherwise we'll be wandering around Canada, completely at a loss.", Doof said. "Besides, Norm's tracking device is saying that Perry the Platypus is in the same direction you pointed us in. Why shouldn't we just check it out?"

"Well... Yeah. But... But why not leave the kids here with me? I-I mean the roads can get kinda dangerous, I'd hate for anything to happen to Agent P's owners and friends.", Lyla said.

"Are you okay? You're acting nervous.", Doof said, completely changing topics.

"I'm fine. I just wanna make sure YOU guys will be. I mean, Perry and I are already good friends. What kind of a friend would I be if something happened and I didn't do anything to prevent it when I could've?"

"Well what kind of a nemesis am I when I send Perry the Platypus away from his family?", Doof asked with a small scoff and a smile. "I'm sure we'll be alright. Besides, if something bad happens on the road, Norm's already got safety reassurances as a default. We'll be just fine."

"...If you're sure.", Lyla said, though her worry was now openly expressed. "Just... I hope you guys don't get hurt."

Doof gave a nod and the kids loaded up into the car. Brigitte and Buford waited on the porch to say their last good-byes.

_*SLAP!*_

_"Be careful!"_, she yelled at him in French, her concern rising as she heard her aunt say 'dangerous'. _"I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you!"_

Buford rubbed his cheek sorely for a moment before focusing his attention on her. He smirked, French dipped her, and began to kiss her passionately, for once ignoring anyone who may have been watching.

"EEEEWWWW!", Candace and Doofenshmirtz exclaimed in disgust, watching from the front of Norm.

Phineas and Ferb politely turned their attentions away, Isabella rolled her eyes and smiled finding it slightly silly, and Baljeet groaned, clearly frustrated.

"Come ON Buford!", he called out the window. "We do not have all day for you to French her!"

_"EEEEEEWWWWWW!"_, the adults repeated in greater disgust, bouncing while doing so.

They finally broke apart to catch breath and Brigitte tried to hold her scowl at him, failing at it as the smile stayed on her face.

"You're a real jerk..", she said.

"It's TOTALLY worth it.", he said, running his hand along her cheek.

Baljeet tromped up to the front of the car and honked the horn, clearly impatient.

"Whoa, hey! Come on! I'M the one who honks the horn around here!", Heinz said, pushing the nerd back a bit.

"What's your issue?", Candace asked.

"When you CONSTANTLY hear of 'Brigitte this' and 'Brigitte that' and 'don't tell anyone or I'm gonna send your head to Brigitte', it gets annoying...", Baljeet said with a roll of his eyes. "Especially since he just NOW FINALLY decides to do something about it. I, for one, do not CARE to see his love life."

He went back to his seat and sat down. Phineas and Isabella couldn't help but glance every so often at the kissy couple. Once did they happen to catch each other's eyes but quickly broke the contact, looking away as fast as possible. Their faces burning a brilliant bright red as they both imagined each other in that position. Ferb chuckled a bit, seeing his brother.

"What's so funny, Ferb?", Phineas asked, looking over his seat.

"...Oh.. You know..", Ferb began with a casual shrug, deciding to have fun with this. "The idea of you and Isabella snog-"

"FERB!", Phineas shouted, his face darkening. "S-stop saying that word!"

"What word?", Candace asked, slightly curious.

"Snog.", Ferb said, causing his brother to get flustered.

"Stop it!"

Ferb smirked at him and kept saying it anyway, "...Buford's a snogaholic."

"FERB!", Phineas groaned.

"Snog snog snog snog, snogging, snoggity, snog snog!", Ferb continued in a chanting sort of way.

"Oh my gosh, Ferb, stop it!", Candace laughed, also blushing.

_"FERB!"_

"I don't get it. What does 'snog' mean?", Isabella asked.

"Oh gosh..", Baljeet buried his face in his hands.

"N-nothing!", Phineas said, now flustered SHE would know.

"It means..", Ferb began before leaning over the seat and whispering in her ear.

Isabella's eyes widened and the color quickly returned to her face.

"OH!", she exclaimed.

"And how do YOU happen to know this word?", Doofenshmirtz asked, a little red in the face himself.

"My cousins.", Ferb said, leaning back in his chair. "It's either Eliza's snogging this guy or Mom- my mom- and Dad are busy snogging at this time, or whatever. It's...not really THAT bad of a word, you know. Dad only banned it because I started to say it when I was 7. 12? It's a bit more common in the British vocabulary."

"Still..", Doof muttered quietly as he shook his head. "You're not EVER dating my daughter..."

"You ARE sick!", Phineas snapped at his brother. "We're JUST ten! Aren't we a little YOUNG for-...for...you-know-what?"

"Phineas, it's JUST making-out!", Baljeet rolled his eyes. "Yes, the particular subject is not very amusing to speak of at this moment in our lives, but please! Look and Buford and Brigitte!"

"I'd REALLY rather not...", Phineas huffed, turning away from them as he continued to blush.

Buford finally climbed back into the car, red in the face and slightly out of breath and they drove off. After seeing the car out of sight, Brigitte, in the same physical condition as Buford, leaned closer to her aunt.

"Promise you wouldn't tell?", she asked.

"That's what aunts are for, eh?", Lyla smiled back.

With Perry, however, things were less blissful. Carl was happy at the moment. He and Michelle were actively engaged in their own conversation as they perused the hallways of the base. Michelle, however, seemed a bit confused as they talked.

_"Wait.. Excuse me?"_, she asked. _"You actually CARE for the agents?"_

_"Well yeah of course!"_, Carl shrugged. _"I raise them all myself. It's sort of like a uh...a motherly connection to them. Monty helps as well, but I'm the prime care taker. In fact, I raised Perry personally from the moment he was born. I can't imagine what I'd do if something horrible happened to him."_

_"...That's...Wow.."_, Michelle stammered a bit, scratching the back of her head as they came to a stop.

Having spent her time with Carl, she was more open to emotions and was, at the moment, upsetted by something. Almost guilty looking. Carl couldn't help but be slightly concerned.

_"...Michelle?"_, he asked.

_"...Um.."_, Michelle began, knowing she was leading onto to something. _"What...what would you do..hypothetically...if... If Perry was ever used for testing?"_

Carl looked at her, slightly confused, but shrugged just the same and said, _"You mean like, invention tests? Cause I've been through them with him quite a bit and-"_

_"No, no.. I mean like.. Like genetic testing?"_, she asked, continued to walk now. _"You know the kind, don't you?"_

Carl walked along side of her, slightly alarmed at the idea. He tried to keep himself calm though as he gave a nod of understanding. It WAS a hypothetical question. Imagining the suggestion, all that came to his mind was the image of Perry in a glass tub. Needles poking into the monotreme's body, tubes stuck into his fur, scissors snipping at his fur while he looked back at the intern sadly, silently wondering why he would allow this to happen. It pulled at his heart hard just to think about it and he shook his head.

_"I'd...that... That's a horrible idea!"_, he exclaimed. _"Who'd ever think to do THAT? To Perry of all platypuses!"_

Michelle shirked, slightly troubled by this response.

_"...You really care that much for him?"_, she asked.

_"I grew up without a family."_, Carl shook his head. _"Owca is the only thing I've ever come close to it. YES, I care that much! But why are you bringing this up?"_

_"...Oh dear.."_, she sighed before stopping again and turning to him, her expression showing sympathy. _"Carl... We need to talk.."_

They had conveniently stopped in front of her office and the two snuck in to discuss the details.

* * *

_Laura: Please, do keep in mind this was written before "Bee day" so I didn't know that Carl (possibly) has a whole family of unpaid interns. So it only made sense to me that the only other person there that wasn't a Monogram had no family, no friends, was pretty much hopelessly alone that it would've been security-safe for them to accept him as an intern. And yes. Carl is like a mother to the agents sometimes in my opinion. XP_


	14. Chapter 14

The trio of agents were racing down the halls, ready to leave. But where was Carl? Surprisingly, just as they were running by a door, it opened up and Carl had to jump back from nearly running over the agents. Perry, Penny, and Pinky all stopped in time before running into a door and looked up.

"Perry-?", Carl gasped.

"Carl! You gotta help us!", Perry interrupted. "We gotta get out of here, NOW."

"Wha-?!", the intern looked back to his French counterpart who looked just as surprised as he felt.

"There's no time to explain. It's a matter of Life or Death. We need your help.", Perry stated quickly.

"Um.. Th-that's.. Perry, I hate to say this, but it's not for me to determine..", Carl said, looking back at the other with a nod.

The animals looked up at Michelle, pleadingly and for once, she actually stared back, taking in their features. As opposed to being surrounded by cold, unfeeling animals such as Ethan, it surprised Michelle to see the personalities, brought to life by their actions as they gathered around her legs. Pinky whimpering, Penny swishing her tail in slight impatience and Perry simply waiting. Hoping. Begging. It was no longer a wonder to her why Carl cared so much for them. They were even more human than she had anticipated.

"Oui.", she said with a nod and a small smile.

Perry smiled back and soon hugged her legs tightly, just happy to know someone was on his side.

"Merci.", he replied.

The five of them hurried to an exit, Michelle leading the escape. By the time three agents had escaped Bacon and were already a few yards away, news was brought to Marshall's attention.

The kids, Candace, and Doofenshmirtz were still driving along. The wind was rushing outside around them as snow pelted onto the windshield. Heinz began to feel uneasy.

"Hey, Norm, buddy?", Heinz began. "How're ya doing out there?"

"It's freezing my anti-freeze, Dad!", Norm replied, still sounding cheerful.

Doof sighed a bit, annoyed by this and argued, "I'm NOT your father! But that aside, it's been hours since we left Lyla's house. Maybe we should-"

Nothing more needed to be said as the car suddenly started to skit and jerk, shaking the passengers inside. Doof managed to pull them back on track as the kids regained their balance, slightly alarmed.

"What was that?!", he asked in shock.

"There's ice on the road!", Norm replied. "Oopsy!"

The ice started to get to the tires and the car continued to jerk out of control. It started to slide across the road, and then soon off the road, down a ditch broad-sided. With screams of fear and shock, before anyone knew it, their seats were soon ejected from the car entirely, landing safely in the snow nearby as Norm crashed into the bottom of the ditch against a large pine tree. As soon as his chair his the ground, Heinz struggled to stand up, fussed with the belts, and then flew across the snow back to his robot.

"_NORM!_", he screamed while doing so.

He reached Norm by the time the robot transformed himself back into his humanly appearance. The doctor began to look all over him frantically.

"Are you alright?! Is everything okay?! What's broken?! What happened?!", Doof asked.

"I-I'm fine...", Norm said, his wires jumbled to allow other tones breaking through his voice, surprising the doctor some.

Norm held his head, finding some of it was battered as well as his right arm, some of his main body, and his right knee joint was sparking a bit.

"Oh my gosh..", Heinz groaned, looking over the robot carefully. "Some of your vocal cords are jumbled. Lemme see something."

He opened up the robot to find the squirrel was just fine, though now much more panicked than before. He sighed with slight relief, happy to see that much. But he saw the black mess oozing behind the squirrel and that's what got him worried.

"Your oil tank's bumped loose.", he deducted, shutting the door again.

Norm obediently turned around as Doof did his best to knock it back in place. By now the kids had caught up, all concerned and worried for Norm.

"Is he alright?", Phineas asked.

"I'm not sure yet. Norm, can you walk still?", Heinz asked.

Norm stood himself up, wobbling a bit on his battered leg. He managed to take a few steps, though he sort of limped while doing so.

"I can walk, Dr. D.", Norm reported. "But I don't think my body will be able to transform again."

"NO part of you can change?", Doof asked. "Not even your weaponry?"

Norm tried, but only his left side seemed fully functional, considering the blunt of the blow was on the right side. And even with his left side, things still came out slowly. Some dangerously sparking.

"Alright, we'll take things easy on you.", the fake doctor deducted.

"We need to find shelter though.", Phineas said. "It's gonna be dark soon."

Heinz gave a nod and the group agreed to get back up on the road. They traveled on foot until it became dark. By then, they had found a small group of pine trees and a couple of bushes and sat up camp along there. Phineas pulled out his hunting knife again and started to work on cutting out twigs and branches they could use.

"Only problem is, I don't have matches.", Phineas was saying while he worked. "We might have to find some stones to help start a spark or something."

"I've got matches!", Heinz offered.

"That's great, Dr. D.!", Phineas smiled. "I DID have a box, but they must've fallen out of my pocket or something."

The kids gathered up some wood while Doof did his best to repair Norm who laid up against one of the trees. The doctor was worried. And his quick actions and worried mutters only proved that to Norm as he quietly watched.

"...Why do you care?", Norm asked, his voice soft and low toned. "You could've just left me, Da...Doofenshmirtz."

Doof was quiet for a moment, but he sighed and stopped his work entirely. Norm worried if he shouldn't have said anything.

"...You don't REALLY think I mean it when I say I don't care about you, do you?", he asked with a small smile. "Norm, I know at times I seem kinda..."

"Cynical?"

"...I was gonna say cold, but.", Heinz growled, tightening his hands into fists while doing so. "I know I seem to not care, but it's not entirely true. I don't know what I'd do if something SERIOUS happened to you. I just keep pushing you away cause you... Well no offense, but you kinda keep interrupting in a very annoying manner, I get mad at you sometimes for it. But you CRASHED. Off the road into a DITCH! The last time I was that scared was about...10 years ago. You're family Norm. Of course I care about you."

"R-really?", Norm asked, his voice cracking into hope.

"Yes. I- ...Are you surprised?", he asked, slightly confused.

"W-well... Y-you just called me.."

"Family. What? It's a given plain truth! I'm your family!"

"But you never let me call you 'dad'!"

"Norm, look at Vanessa! She calls ME 'dad' and she hates me!", Heinz scoffed. "Remember-"

He suddenly stopped himself from saying "Phineas and Candace" and tried to work around it.

"...my other family?"

"Yes. Yes I do.", Norm nodded.

"...Well I was gonna say, the...the girl...used to call me 'dad' and...look what happened to her.", Heinz sighed, now slightly blue. "...I didn't want something to happen to you just cause you thought of me as a Dad. And besides, I wouldn't wanna be YOUR dad. I'd rather be your best friend."

Norm smiled, internally. He couldn't be happier. Phineas, having just finished making the fire with a small blowtorch and Heinz's matches was unable to help but overhear and stepped a little closer to inquire.

"You had another family?", Phineas asked, surprising Doofenshmirtz a bit.

"Oh...", Heinz started, a little awkward feeling. "Yeah they... I mean, Vanessa IS my family and all. She's my little girl. But... Well I used to have another family but..."

"...Did they die?", Phineas asked, sitting down with him, against Norm's leg.

"Oh no! No no! They're all alive and well, last I know. But.. Well I wasn't allowed to stay with them anymore.", Doof explained. "It's.. It's a bit of a grown-up matter to exactly explain WHY that is but...", he stopped and sighed. "...Maybe it really was my fault... I don't know.. I was told to leave the family. I haven't seen them in ten years. And while I may have gotten over getting kicked out and who by, I still miss my kids.."

"You had kids?", Phineas asked.

"A girl and a little newborn boy.", he went on to say, feeling tears rising behind his eyes. "...I even missed my only son's birth... I just knew he was born because of the ONE time I was last able to see them. And then... Fft. Never again. Only from a distance, if ANYTHING. If their mother ever caught me... She'd probably call the police if not just run away screaming."

"Oh gosh...", Phineas said sadly.

"...I haven't seen them in years. I miss them so much.", Heinz continued. "But of course, it's all such an embarrassing situation, not even Perry the Platypus knows about it. Hardly anyone does. I've been lying all these years, saying I've never had a family outside of Vanessa... Gosh, I am a schnitzel."

"Schnitzel?"

"A baby. A whiner. A coward, a mouse, an insignificant fly smashed on the windshield of life.", Heinz explained. "I'm not a man like I should be. I'm even too afraid to admit that I have a second family to Perry the Platypus. I lie about my one and only son cause I'm such a scaredy cat. It's embarrassing and shameful of me. But that's all the more reason why she would say I wasn't allowed to stay.."

Phineas was quiet for a moment before he started off sadly, "I have a bit of a broken family too."

Heinz looked at him, supposing to be curious though he already knew it.

"...I never got to see my real dad. And I only recently told my friends why that is.", Phineas said, nodding to the others. "...Candace and I don't really like to talk about it, but I still miss him."

Now Doof was genuinely curious and he turned to listen as the young boy continued, his own pain showing for once.

"I never got the chance to even say 'hi' to him... Let alone tell him that I loved him.", Phineas went on. "Candace said he was a great guy and all. It's because of him that I build things every day. That I do what I do to make others happy. Cause Candace said that's what he always did. But I still miss him. I'd trade four of my Summer Vacations if it meant I could spend at least a moment with my dad.."

Doofenshmirtz felt an odd mixture of emotions. He felt blessed. Blessed to have such a son as Phineas. Who still loved him, even if he never met him. Blessed to have actually encouraged something POSITIVE in a child without even knowing him! And then there the pain settled. Sharp, stinging, and agonizing. Worse than a punch in the guts or being burnt. He had also instilled this life-long emotional scar into his son. This scar of never knowing who his father was, of thinking that his father was dead before he was born. And just to frost his cookies, Phineas actually looked UP to him! Phineas was INSPIRED by HIM. Of all the people in the world! The man who blew himself up the most. The BIGGEST failure in the history of the planet! He could've picked any average genius' hero. Albert Einstein. Sir Isaac Newtwon. Leonardo Da Vinci. Rube Goldberg! No. HIM. HE was his inspiration. Phineas' hero. Who Phineas always looked up to. Phineas Flynn, his son, loving and caring as ever, had sat up for his inspiration, his encouragement, Heinz Doofenshmirtz. The man with a fake doctrine who ripped Perry the Platypus away from Phineas' small arms, and practically shoved the young inventor out here into this cold, harsh environment.

It hurt. Literally. Doof felt like his heart was physically tearing from the top to the bottom. He held up a hand to his aching chest, gasping a bit from the pain. This, of course, caught Phineas' attention and he looked over, slightly worried.

"Dr. D? Are you alright?", he asked.

"I'm...f-fine...", he choked, trying not to cry. "I've just...DIED...again..internally..."

"Died?", Phineas asked, his worry rising. "What, cause of what I said?"

"...Sorta..", Heinz wavered his hand in a sort of iffy gesture. "It's just... I never heard of someone as caring as you would be.. I mean, what if your dad was a complete failure? What if he was nothing like what you imagined him to be?"

"Well.. Then so what?", Phineas shrugged. "He's still my dad. Why shouldn't I love him?"

"...What if he was accused of cheating your mom?"

"It's just an accusation. That doesn't mean it's true and even if it was, I'm sure he had his reasons.", Phineas said. "But I don't think he would be like that. Not the way Candace described him to me."

'Well he IS right on that note. I DIDN'T.', Heinz thought to himself. 'This can't really be MY son though. Ha! There is NO way, half of MY genetic make-up went into this perfect, angel-chorus ringing, joyful, optimistic being of another man's family! ...but IF he is... If I SOMEHOW managed to NOT have messed up and was actually blessed to have HIM for a son...I am SOOO not telling him I'm his dad! Nu-uh! Nope! NO WAY. Aha! Ha! As IF! NO. Just... Just no!'

"Do you often die internally?", Phineas asked, breaking his train of thought.

"Hm? Oh... Well...", Heinz started, not really sure he wanted to ramble about his many emotional scars. "...Let's just say that...I'm pretty used to the feeling."

"...Rough life?"

"...Enough to fill books.", Doof sighed. "Ask Perry the Platypus."

Phineas chuckled a bit and said, "Sorry to hear that. Who knows? Maybe after we get Perry back, Ferb and I can help give you the best day ever!"

Heinz chuckled, finding only too adorable Phineas' obliviousness of the situation, and said, "Maybe. We'll see."

"Well... I mean, how hard can it be?", Phineas asked with a shrug. "I'm gonna go on a limb and say that the best day ever would be to spend time with your kids, right?"

"Well... Yeah.", Heinz shrugged. "But I can't. It's impossible."

"As I always say, the only thing that's IMPOSSIBLE is improbability.", Phineas beamed. "What's to it? All you have to do is talk to their Mom."

"Who hates me.", Doofenshmirtz noted with a nod.

"But how long has it been since you last saw her?", Phineas asked.

"Ten years.", Doof shrugged.

"So do you really think she'd hold a grudge for over ten years?"

"I do."

"Dr. Doofenshmirtz!", Phineas said accusingly with a smile. "You gotta stop being so negative! A phone call to sort all the issues between you out, a couple more to help settle things out and possibly get a chance for you to meet your kids again. It really isn't that hard!"

"...You'd be surprised...", Doof said with a cringe. "What if the kids hate me anyway?"

"Well even if they do, they SHOULD know who their dad is, shouldn't they? Don't they actually have a right to know who their biological father, is?"

Doofenshmirtz wanted to argue this, but couldn't bring himself to. Phineas was so hopeful not only about his dad, but also about Doof BEING a dad. He simply smiled with a small shake of his head and shrugged.

"We'll see how it turns out.", he said. "I'll...keep it under consideration. Kay?"

Phineas seemed satisfied with this and smiled some more before saying, "Alright. But..you know, you really should."

The fire was going, night had fallen, and everyone settled down for the night. Doof agreed to take a first shift at keeping the fire going and promised to wake up Ferb later when he was too tired. But back at the agency, not everyone was as peaceful as they were.

Peter felt the sting seep in through the side of his face as Ethan stood, looming over top of him.

"SPEAK!", Marshall ordered.

"I-I... Don't know anything!", Peter kept saying, panting from the beating.

He already had a black eye, showing up more as blue and brown under the fur. Patches of fur were missing. His cheek started to bleed after Ethan smacked him with his long sharp claws.

"I'm getting impatient, Peter.", Marshall said coldly as he circled the panda, Ethan waiting on his desk. "And you're the ONLY agent who's actually talking to him because the other two are gone as well. So I'll say it again... WHERE'S PERRY?"

"I...DON'T... KNOW!", Peter repeated, now getting angry. "I'm his enemy! His rival! WHY would he confide in ME?"

"It's BECAUSE your enemies we've made YOU a prime suspect!", Marshall retorted. "Only a rival would know the location of their opposition at all times!"

"Um..", Major Monogram stammered, causing Marshall to turn his attention on him. Monogram had to cower a bit. He had never seen an agent harm another like this, and the entire way Marshall handled this, coldly and unforgiving, was easily scaring him. What was worse, was that Monogram had no control in this situation. Marshall did. Francis had been reduced to follow his orders now. "Wh..what if we're wrong? ANYONE could happen to know where Perry is. Not SPECIFICALLY Peter."

"I'll make this easy for you, Peter.", Marshall began, turning back at the panda as he crouched down to him. "The simple truth. It's all we ask for. Tell us where Perry is, and we'll give you any family, any nemesis, anything your little panda heart desires."

"Why would you want him anyway?", Peter scoffed, spitting some blood out onto the floor. "He's just a stupid platypus."

Marshall took in what Peter said and stood back up. He walked behind his desk before turning back around, his cold blue eyes focused on the bundle of black and white before him.

"...Ethan.", Marshall commanded.

Instantly, like a waiting beast, Ethan lunged at the panda. Clawing, biting, ripping, torturing him until he spoke. Peter screamed in pain and Monogram only watched in horror.

"These...", Marshall said to Monogram, slightly turning his head to the man behind him. "..are the building foundations to an obedient agent. This is why Peter is so rebellious to you."

"Because I haven't tortured him?!", Francis gaped before coming around to the front of Marshall's desk to confront him. "Stop it! He doesn't know! Just call it off! LOOK at him!"

Marshall was already. As Ethan attempted to tear the panda apart one bite at a time. Blood, tears, cries of pain escaping the panda.

_*Snap*_

With a movement of the fingers, Ethan stopped. The red blood dripping down his jaws as he looked back at his master. Marshall nodded beside him and Ethan back flipped off of Peter, landing on the desk with his hands before turning to land on his feet on the floor beside the major. When Ethan landed on the desk, he hit a green button on there, causing the metal coils that held Peter's arms and legs securely to shrink away into the chair the panda sat on. He hadn't lied. He didn't know EXACTLY where Perry was and as far as he knew what Ethan liked the most, it was specifics.

"Get him to the infirmary.", Marshall ordered. "And make sure they don't bother with anything more than a patch-up."

Ethan saluted his master and hurried to lug the panda out of the room.

"...Why do you do that?", Monogram asked the moment they were alone. "He could've died!"

"Welcome to Bacon, Mr. Monogram.", Marshall said, turning to him with a small smile. "My agent Ethan has been through much worse. If you don't believe me, ask him to show you the stains in his fur."

Major Marshall could see the fear ingrained into the other and smiled more. The Organization Without a Cool Acronym has fallen right into place. There was only one key element that they were missing. A very crucial element.

"So now, allow me to enlighten you the situation.", he said, sitting back down. "And exactly what your real faults are..."

Perry, Penny, and Pinky were trekking through the snow. Having to stop every so often to get on one another's shoulders to see more clearly. They were only 2 feet tall. The snow was 4 and sometimes 5! But night was approaching fast and there was only one solution for them to find rest and comfort in this cold night. Shoulder to shoulder, Perry and Penny had managed to dig a burrow into the ground. There, Pinky was ushered in as Penny made some extra room for comfort in the den of it. Perry came in behind Pinky and rested himself at the front of the door.

_"'Perry, you're going to get cold.'"_, Penny said.

_"'I've got more layers, I'll be alright.'"_, Perry said, curling up as best as he could to rest.

Penny and Pinky lined up beside him, Pinky squashed in the middle of them. It took a bit of getting used to, but they eventually settled easily for sleep. Except for Perry.

Perry was right back in Doof's lab. The place was strangely very empty.

_"'Doofenshmirtz?'"_, Perry called out as he walked across the floor.

He made his way through the building, soon coming across the living room where he was horrified by the sight before him.

Red blood dripping down his pale white hand, black and gooey from coagulating on the floor. Doofenshmirtz hung from the ceiling above his coffee table. Eyes blank and expressionless. A red gash in his chest with the protruding blade sticking out the other side. A sign over his black sweater that made Perry shiver in fear.

"Come back"

Perry took a step back before turning around and running in the other direction. Before he could tell what was happening, he was running in Owca. Down the old familiar hallways as the cubicles sped by him. He was being chased by something. Something he didn't want to face. Something he didn't want anything to do with. He ducked into an office and was met with Major Monogram. Arms, legs, head, and diced torso, all apart from one another. Perry screamed at the sight, stumbling backwards, soon falling. He fell and fell and fell, right into Phineas' hands.

Phineas?

Yes, Phineas. As he held him closely and stroked his fur. Perry sighed in relief. He hugged the boy closer, happy for his presence and love.

"Hey, Perry.", Phineas started. "Where've ya been?"

But Perry ignored the question, burying his face into the boy's chest. When then, he noticed something. Something... Something wasn't right. Perry pulled back to find that the boy's clothes were a white t-shirt and gray overalls with a bright red letter "D" on the front. Dooferalls? Perry looked up, finding Phineas so much more pale than normal with a buzz cut. Aside from that much, Phineas' smile was more broken looking. Tears were pouring down his face as he looked back at the agent.

"It's been so long.. We were so worried about you!", he said.

Perry stumbled back a bit before falling off, realizing he had ran out of legs to walk on and hit the floor. But no pain. Just a loud, metallic, clang and force being registered in the back of his head. Perry stood back up and looked down at him. A metal exoskeleton was around him! He was Platyborg!

But no sooner had he realized this than did the door to his house get kicked in. Whirling around, Perry found himself face to face with Ethan the Ermine. A fang-filled smile plastered on his face.

"NO! I wasn't crying! I swear!", Phineas was saying as Normbots came and swept him away.

"Silence mortal. You're under arrest of showing emotion.", the robot's demonic voice said harshly.

"NO! PERRY!", Phineas cried out as he was being dragged away with Ferb.

"PHINEAS!", Perry called out, starting to run to him.

But his tail was pulled back on and Perry found himself slamming into a wall, the pain registering this time. Ethan straightened out his spine once again and merely waited as Perry slid to the floor. The platypus picked himself up, his heart racing in fear as Ethan neared him.

"Come back.", Ethan said, though his lips didn't move. "Come back to us."

_"'NO!'"_, Perry screamed, clasping his hands around his head as he tried to shove out the voice in it.

"Come back...", Ethan continued. "..or watch everyone die."

_"'NO!'"_

Perry took off running again, knowing Ethan was hot on his trail. Images of family, friends, agents, all dead flew by Perry's mind. Even if Perry closed his eyes, they were still there. Staring at him. Pointing fingers at HIM. Like bloody marionettes, they all knew it was his fault. And their screams scarred his ears.

Perry came up to a dead end. There wasn't another way out. Nothing. Nothing he could do as he turned around and watched Ethan approach him.

Perry screamed as a blur of white charged at him when he realized he was screaming in reality and woke up with a start to nearly ram his face into Penny's.

Penny backed up in time as Perry sat up and was very alarmed.

_"'Perry! Are you alright?'"_, Penny asked as Perry grasped reality.

Perry looked back at her, momentarily still seeing a corpse until he shook his head and clearly saw her there. Penny. THE Penny. His Penny. Perry managed to calm himself back down and shook his head, holding a hand over his fast-paced heart.

_"'I..I'm fine..'"_, Perry replied.

_"'And you're in love with Doofenshmirtz.'"_, Penny replied sarcastically. _"'What's wrong?'"_

_"'...Just a bad dream...'"_, Perry said.

_"'Wanna talk about it?'"_

_"'I'm alright.'"_, Perry repeated with a shake of his head. _"'I'll be alright. Not a first time I've had a nightmare like this.'"_

_"'...If you're sure..'"_

Perry shivered a bit and rubbed his arms vigorously.

_"'I'm cold if anything...'"_, he said.

The next thing that Perry knew, a soft blond head brushed up under his bill as Penny squeezed between him and Pinky, effectively pushing Pinky away while doing so. His face quickly became warm, making him forget about the chilly weather. Penny continued to nuzzle and rub against him as she settled down beside him with a small, slightly bashful smile.

_"'...Or am I still dreaming?'"_, Perry questioned. _"'And Ethan's about to come bursting through the entrance to have my organs for a stew?'"_

Penny chuckled a bit and chattered, _"'You should stay warm. And... I'm sorry I always thought you were a jerk. I had a lot of time to think it over after the incident on the train and while I was unpacking in Bacon. ...I'm sorry for being a witch.'"_

_"'A witch?'"_, Perry questioned.

_"'Yeah. I was prejudice for no real reason. I treated you unfairly even though you didn't deserve it. I'm sorry.'"_, Penny said, nuzzling her head up under his. _"'You're much better than I say you are.'"_

_"'So why the affection?'"_, Perry asked, blushing a bit.

_"'...Guess August came early.'"_, Penny said with a small smile.

Perry smiled a bit, understanding her change of emotion for him, and nuzzled back against her, purring softly. They loved on each other, small nips of fur and purrs, till they had finally fallen asleep, arm in arm.

Buford woke up the next morning with a yawn and stretched a bit. It was a little rough of sleeping with Baljeet tucked away underneath him, but the bully rolled over and sat up, rubbing his eyes. What they landed on, however, was more than an eye-opener. Dr. Doofenshmirtz, one arm partially tucked up under his head, another wrapped around Candace's waist as she laid her head on his other arm, the two of them cuddled up as close as can be.

* * *

_Amber: So, who here hates Ethan and loves Doof with his kids so far? =)  
_


	15. Chapter 15

With a scream, Buford jumped up to his feet, causing Baljeet to jolt up and Isabella to roll over, away from Phineas, in surprise and Candace and Doofenshmirtz to sit up with a yelp as well. Phineas and Ferb only continued sleeping with their earmuffs effectively blocking out all sound.

"WHAT?! What? What's wrong!?", everyone was asking, talking over top of each other as Buford stumbled backwards, rubbing his eyes.

"Candace and Doofenshmirtz! CANDACE and DOOF- GAH! MY EYES HURT!", Buford was exclaiming.

Candace and Doofenshmirtz looked at each other to find they had curled up together in the typical father and daughter manner, and Candace quickly leapt to her feet, understanding what Buford was thinking.

"HOLY COW you two-?! WHAT?!", Isabella gaped in disgust as Baljeet tried to calm down the bully.

"You little sickos! It's not like _that_!", Candace yelled back, her face a furious shade of red.

"What?! Like what?!", Heinz asked, still clueless.

"_THAT!_", Candace shot back, the tone in her voice indicating something that even Doofenshmirtz understood.

"WHAT?!", Heinz shrieked. "WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA wait, a minute, Candace. Aren't they a little YOUNG to think of _THAT?!_"

"Aren't you a little OLD to be hitting on HER?!", Isabella accused, pointing a finger between them.

"Or to be cuddling up to h- I SEE WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU NOW!", Buford declared. "I saw! I saw what you're really wanting out of this!"

"EW! NO IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!", Heinz cringed as his face became bright red with Candace's. "Oh my GOSH you sick little _FREAK!_"

"_ME?!_ YOU!", Buford shouted back.

"He's not trying to hit on me or anything and I'm not cheating Jeremy!", Candace yelled back.

"Oh yeah, SURE you're not!", Isabella scoffed.

"We're not because he's my-", Candace stopped, spared Heinz a quick glance, and went back to scowling at them. "We're not like that!"

"What?! He's your what?!", Baljeet asked.

"Nothing!", Doof said, now showing panic. "Nothing! We're nobody to each other! NOPE! Not us!"

"Yeah, see, when you act like that, it's like you're in DENIAL!", Buford accused.

"Oh for Pete's sake! Why can't I tell them?!", Candace barked, now turning on the other.

"WHAT?! NO!", Heinz gasped in fear. "No no no! Candace, we SWORE to not tell!"

"EEEEWWWWW!", the kids exclaimed.

"Oh shut up you twerps! _HE'S MY DAD!_", Candace growled while Heinz wailed in defeat.

Aside from the fake doctor's soft sobbing as he buried his face into his hands, there was a sudden silence amongst the group as Candace held her ground, still scowling at the three of them. They all silently agreed to move away from the boys and they continued.

"THAT'S why he wants to help us!", Candace said. "Cause I'm HIS DAUGHTER! And Phineas is HIS SON!"

"But-!", Isabella stammered. "But Phineas said-"

"Lies that Mom indoctrinated into Phineas and I when we were still young and impressionable!", Candace interrupted, still clearly steaming over the fact. "THIS is my dad. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. And I don't care if he may be 'evil', he's a darn good dad, I missed him, and I WAS enjoying a peaceful quiet morning of some father-daughter-bonding that I haven't enjoyed in the last TEN YEARS when YOU guys started freaking out!"

Feeling guilty, the kids hang their heads slightly to show their shame. It made more sense now, though there still were a few questions buzzing by them. Candace turned to her dad and hugged him.

"He's still a little nervous everyone's gonna hate him just because he was kicked out of the family before Phineas was born.", Candace explained. "He didn't want me to tell you guys, Ferb, and especially Phineas."

"...Why not tell Phineas?", Isabella asked. "He'd be so happy to know you're alive!"

Doofenshmirtz was silent for a moment but when he uncovered his face and stood back up, his eyes were still overflowing with tears as he hung his head.

"...I don't wanna tell him...partially because I'm ashamed I haven't before..", Doof said. "...And not only that, but look at him! Look at his life! He's so happy. Not just the natural, perky attitude, no. I mean he's HAPPY. Internally. NOTHING spoils his positive outlook. He's SO optimistic! His life's near about perfect! WHY should I, the man who makes everything explode, fail, the cause of all of us being out here, freezing our tails off, a mad man, a FAKE doctor, EVER even CONSIDER to touch his life? I'm already doing so much wrong in tearing away his platypus from him, by accident, that if he found out I'm his DAD?! His inspiration, his admiration, what he looks UP to so he could continue what he does on a daily basis? It'd...it'd crush him..."

Everyone felt sad to hear this, especially Candace.

"...You should, though. You know?", Candace said.

"NO!", Heinz said, his alarm coming back. "No! You guys have GOT to promise you won't tell him! PLEASE!"

"What about Ferb?", Baljeet asked.

"Yeah, can we tell him?", Buford asked.

"Tell me what?", Ferb's voice was heard behind the others, making Heinz yelp hearing it.

Doof looked back at Candace, longing she wouldn't say a word. But Candace merely shook her head. She was tired of playing by her dad's rules. She knew Ferb better than he did.

"We can trust, Ferb.", Candace said. "But I AM going to leave it to you to tell Phineas since you're such a coward about it."

"Wait...", Ferb said, holding up a halting hand as he looked between them curiously. "...Candace, you're not cheating on Jeremy are you?"

"Don't make me start an avalanche.", Candace warned. "Doofenshmirtz is mine and Phineas' biological father. Mom lied to us. She's been lying to us. But Dad's too afraid to tell Phineas."

Ferb gave a nod in understanding. He turned and started heading back when Heinz quickly jumped out and grabbed his shoulder.

"Whoa whoa wait! You're not gonna tell him are you?!", he asked in fear.

Ferb looked back, an eyebrow raised.

"...I was just going to go stoke up the fire a bit.", he said.

Doof's eyes widened and he hung his head with a sigh, wanting to beat himself for thinking otherwise.

"...Promise me you'll talk more?", he asked.

"Only if you promise to talk less.", Ferb bargained.

"Deal."

They came back to the campsite where Phineas was already prodding at the fire. The boy smiled, seeing his friends and family come back and asked what they were up to.

"Oh, nothing.", Isabella shrugged.

"We were...just charting out where we should try to go next!", Baljeet came up with.

Phineas gave a nod, buying the lie and they continued to talk about it. Then stomachs began to growl and they fished around in their backpacks. Unfortunately, they've already eaten through the snacks they had brought with them as previous meals. Heinz sighed a bit, already used to the pain, but more concerned about everyone else and their hunger. He could think of a solution, but the others probably wouldn't be in favor of it. They packed up their things and began to head out. The weather was in their favor for the most part, so they had that much to be thankful for. Little did they really understand what was in store for them along the mountain side.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Perry and Penny were just waking up. Perry stretched and yawned and smiled at the sight next to him. Despite possible travesties that could happen later on in their adventure through Canada, he was happy enough to know that after so long of a struggle, Penny had returned his affections. But time was on the move, and they needed to be too. He gently nipped at the back of her neck, earning a small giggle.

_"'Time to wake up..'"_, he said softly with a smile.

_"'A few more minutes...'"_, she purred, nuzzling her head into his chest a bit.

_"'No...'"_, Perry said, trying to keep himself from purring. _"'No. No, we gotta get up now.'"_

Penny sighed, making it sound dramatic as she pretended to look discontented.

_"'Work work work work. Busy busy busy busy.'"_, she chanted. _"'Never let anything out of bounds with YOUR schedule, do you?'"_

_"'Hey, I can make exceptions.'"_, Perry chuckled.

_"'Can you make an exception to build a SEPARATE den?'"_, Pinky asked groggily as he started to wake up. _"'You two are gonna make me sick..'"_

Perry and Penny chuckled and they ended up waking themselves up enough to get up and headed out. They closed up the tunnel as best as they could, and began once again to trek through the snow.

_"'...So gonna tell me what's happened?'"_, Pinky asked, noticing Penny and Perry walking closer together than yesterday.

_"'Oh. Um...'"_, Penny blushed a bit.

_"'We made-up.'"_, Perry answered.

_"'And made-out?'"_, Pinky asked.

_"'Oh shut up!'"_, Penny laughed, trying to scowl at the dog.

_"'MAKE ME!'"_, Pinky dared, sticking out his tongue.

Suddenly something was shoved against his mouth and when the dog realized it was his grappling hook, he panicked and tried to pull it off. But it was too late. The metal was already frozen to the spit on his tongue.

_"'NOW try talking.'"_, Perry smirked.

_"'Curth you Perry the Platyputh!'"_, Pinky lisped as he tried to take it off.

The other two giggled and they continued on their way. But Perry slightly worried. It's already been a day since his departure. What was Ethan thinking?

The ermine in question was very deep in thought. He couldn't figure where Perry had gone. Even with his heightened sense of smell, it was too late last night for him to track down the platypus and the fresh-fallen snow has covered the scent easily. It was annoying and Ethan was ready to take out some of his frustration to help with the concentration.

***Knock, knock, knock, knock***

Ethan turned his head to the door to his office and gave his reply, "Enter."

A goat came into the room quickly and gave a small salute to the ermine before stating, "Grendel the Goat reporting, Sir!"

"Subject?", Ethan asked.

"Intruders.", the goat replied.

"Speak."

"During my post, I've spotted seven travelers, heading our way.", Grendel replied dutifully. "I'm not sure of who they are."

Ethan raised an eyebrow at this, his yellow eyes narrowing angrily. Grendel took note of this and began to quiver in small fear.

"B-b-but I can make an estimate of their ages."

"You better be correct.", Ethan stated coldly.

"There were two large ones, adults, and five smaller ones; obviously children.", the goat said quickly. "And a very large one following after them. One whom I believe to be a robot, Sir."

"And what gives you this impression, basing off of their height?", Ethan asked.

"...The robot's ten times larger than the others.", Grendel answered.

"Transportation?"

"On foot."

"In search of us, or wandering around?"

"They appear to just be wandering around, Sir. Though they're heading in the correct direction towards our base."

Ethan stopped to ponder this a moment. His tail swished back and forth as he thought.

"...I want you to send a few agents after them. W-squadron.", Ethan ordered. "Line of actions, natural. No need to raise suspicion of our whereabouts."

"Yes, Sir.", Grendel nodded before running back out.

Ethan pondered over who these people could be. Two large, five small.

'...How many were in the group? Three family...three friends.. But the other...', Ethan pondered as he circled his desk. 'Could they really be that...?'

He stopped, looked at his phone, and quickly picked it up and dialed. He waited for a moment before someone answered him.

"Hello there, I'd like to speak to the person in charge.", Ethan said casually. "...He's out? ...On official business? ...Oh, no no. It's alright. I'll call back at another time, eh? Yes. Yes I will. Thank you for your time."

He hung up the phone with a wide smirk. He knew EXACTLY who it was coming after them. Oh yeah. Major Marshall will want the W-squadron on this. He stalked out of the office, getting prepared...just in case.

The winds had grown rough and Pinky was trailing behind Perry and Penny more and more. The cold was finally getting to him as he hugged himself tightly, trying to move on. Perry looked back to check on him.

_"'Pinky!'"_, he shouted, hoping to be heard over the wind. _"'How're ya holding up?'"_

Pinky shivered and chattered, standing there in the cold. He tried to make a response, but the air was so cold, his throat was so sore, it hurt to speak. It hurt to swallow. It hurt almost too much to do anything. Perry and Penny managed to tromp their way back and Perry tried to encourage Pinky to move on.

_"'We gotta keep going if we're gonna live for tomorrow.'"_, Perry was saying.

_"'Pinky, please. You've got to move!'"_, Penny begged.

_"'I-I-I-I-I'll b-b-be-b-b-be-ee f-f-f-f-f-f-fine...'"_, Pinky chattered.

He gave a violent cough but then yipped and held his throat in pain. Penny quickly became alarmed and Perry's face grew more grave.

_"'...No you won't. You're frozen solid!'"_, Perry observed.

_"'N-n-no... I-I-I'm f-f-fine!'"_, Pinky insisted. _"'I-I-I-I ju-ju-j-j-just-t-t n-n-n-need to w-w-w-wa-warm up-p a b-b-bit-t-t!'"_

_"'Oh no, Amigo.'"_, Penny insisted with a shake of her head. _"'You're cold. We need shelter, fast.'"_

_"'I'm on it.'"_, Perry said, already taking off his gloves and bending down to burrow.

Penny tried her best to warm up Pinky as the chihuahua stood there and chattered.

Elsewhere, the storm hasn't hit yet, but things were already looking pretty dire.

"NO! No, Norm. You gotta get up!", Doof insisted as Norm laid up by a tree.

The other waited nearby but Norm only shook his head slowly.

"It's my squirrel.", he explained, his voice sounding weary. "It has a broken leg..and it's cold... I'm powering down."

"But-! But Norm!", Heinz whined.

"Norm, please...", Phineas begged. "There's gotta be SOMETHING we can do..."

But Norm only shook his head and said, "I want you guys to go on without me.", he looked back down at Doofenshmirtz. "...Please, Dad?"

Trying hard to blink back tears and failing, Doof gave a small nod. He hugged Norm one last time as the robot finally powered down for good. When Norm had finished shutting off, Doofenshmirtz opened him up and grimaced at the cold, dead, squirrel that laid in the wheel.

"...Ew.", he shuddered, reaching in with his eyes shut and face turned away. "Ew. Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew!", he grabbed the squirrel by the tail and flung it out of sight. "EW!"

Everyone took a moment of silence for the robot. Even Doofenshmirtz remained quiet while the tears fell past him. He cared more for Norm than even he realized. And that only made it hurt all the more. But finally, they left the robot to its peace, promising to return for him afterwards. Doofenshmirtz took one last look at the robot over his shoulder, before heading on. His heart heavy with misery.

The group moved on, but Ferb wasn't sure how much longer he could hide himself. With his throat itching and internally tormenting him, he tried to give a small cough, only to fail and be easily heard by his brother, much worse than he intended.

"Ferb?!", Phineas asked, instantly worried by the sounds of it. "Ferb did you-! You LIED to me! You're still sick! Why didn't you tell anyone?! What if it gets worse?!"

Ferb was annoyed by Phineas' constant doting and retorted, "I didn't lie. I just told you my fever was broken. I said NOTHING about the status of my health!"

"But you're still sick! Why didn't you tell anyone?! We gotta get you home, or-or- back to Brigitte's so you can get better!", Phineas was rambling in a panicked frenzy.

"Phine-AAH!", Ferb held his chest a bit as he coughed some more.

"See! It's getting worse!", Phineas asked, continuing to worry about his step-brother. "What if you DID get bronchitis? Or pneumonia?!"

"Phineas, it was just a spasm in my nervous system, I'm fine!", Ferb argued. "That's perfectly normal!"

"Stop lying to me!"

"PHINEAS!", Ferb shouted, stopping everyone else in their tracks as he seized his step brother by the shoulders. "For the last time, I am FINE. GET A _GRIP!_"

Phineas stared back, unsure if he was more scared for his brother or scared OF his brother. Ferb, however, was already trying to calm himself down. It was one of the many reasons why he swore never to speak as much as he could; it would easily hurt the people he loved. He took a deep breath and let go of his brother, stepping back again.

"...I'm okay.", he restated through gritted teeth. "..It's just a cough. ...Alright?"

Phineas gave a small nod.

"Alright then."

And Ferb headed off once again. The others slowly followed after him, Phineas being the last as his brother's words, and tone, sunk into him. As they walked, Doofenshmirtz leaned closer to Candace.

"Does this um... Does this normally happen?", he asked her quietly.

"As often as a blue moon.", she stated, slightly fearful. "Yes, feel free to worry."

And so Heinz did as he stared at the young Brit. Ferb only continued his strong determined strides though, ignoring everything, including himself. He didn't want to focus on HIM, he wanted to focus on Perry. The sooner they found Perry, the sooner they could get home. THEN he would be more satisfied to resting and getting back into better health. But as Ferb continued to march on, he took a deep breath of the crisp, cool, mountain air and began to feel himself calm down some more. He glanced back to see Phineas trail along behind everyone. Head hung, steps small, no smile on his face. The half-Scotsman couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at the sight of his brother and slowed himself down to allow the others to pass until he was walking along side Phineas. He tried to look at his brother, but the young boy only kept his eyes on the snow below him. After a moment of hesitation, Ferb finally spoke.

"..Ph-Phineas?", he started.

Phineas lifted his head slightly to show that he was listening, but his eyes never left their position. Ferb felt even more guilt, and a worse pain than before. He had never yelled at his brother before, and the outcome was worse than he'd thought it would be. The only other time that Phineas had looked this hurt was when they thought that Perry died, but this time Ferb caused the pain. With a small gulp, Ferb tried to speak to him.

"Phineas.. I um... I-I didn't mean for it to uh, to come out that way..", he stammered.

"No..", Phineas muttered quietly, his voice was a little bit cracked. "You were right... I shouldn't have freaked out like that, you can take care of yourself."

"No, Phineas I-"

"I should try to keep my head on my shoulders, like you do.", he continued sorrowfully, sparing his older brother a glance before heading on.

The glimpse that Ferb caught of Phineas' face may have been short, but it was long enough to break his heart. Never has there been a time when there was so much sadness in Phineas. His eyes told Ferb that he felt slightly betrayed and confused, more hurt than anything, and not just because of the tears that were hiding there.

Ferb stopped walking for a moment and looked on at the boy sympathetically and remorsefully. He wanted so badly to make up for what he'd done and for Phineas' optimism to revive, but it seemed that the only thing he could do was wait until the mood was better and apologize then. And so, with a soft, sad sigh of his own, he trudged on.

In due time, the storm also hit Phineas and everyone and they struggled against the winds. Especially Phineas. His stomach was hurting, his head felt light, and his legs were sore. They felt like tight metal springs, no longer wanting to move. But he kept his walking, stumbling only a bit in the knee-deep snow. Doofenshmirtz couldn't help but notice as he peered through the down-pour of snow and worried.

"Phineas, are you okay?", Heinz called out.

"I-I'm okay..", Phineas called back, trying to hide how tired he really was.

He tried to walk on, but with the raging winds, he soon stumbled again, being brought down to his knees from pain, tired, hunger, and the cold forces of the Canadian Rockies. Phineas could barely manage to keep his eyes open but he could hear exclamations. Doofenshmirtz soon came up to him. He felt his arms be tugged on and his legs ache as he was pulled to his feet. All he wanted to do at the moment was curl up, just for a moment. His eyes felt so heavy. They were literally crossing.

"Come on, Phineas.", Doof urged gently, lifting up the boy a bit.

"I-I'm alright..", Phineas said tiredly, eyes closed as he was putting his feet underneath him.

"Sure you are.", Heinz rolled his eyes. "Come on. You need to get up."

"Mm...hmm.."

Phineas was on his feet, but he stopped moving, other than the shivering. He simply stood there, eyes closed, head going down a bit.

"Phineas... Phineas.", Doof shook him a bit, causing the boy to jolt some.

"I-I-I'm okay.", he repeated.

"You're tired. You need some rest.", Doof insisted, pushing the boy back behind him, encouraging Phineas to get on his back.

Phineas leaned into him, trying to climb up, but had now officially lost the will to move. Candace had come over by now and helped lift him up.

"Hey, Dr. Doofenshmirtz?", Candace began. "You don't think he's...you know? Shutting down cause it's cold out or something..do you?"

"No no no. I know what that's like.", he said with a shake of his head, earning a wide-eyed look from his daughter. "Yeah that- Pfft. No. He'd just collapse if that was the case. Phineas really is just tired."

"Oh... Alright.. If..if you say so.", she said with a shrug.

Once on his back, Doofenshmirtz hefted him up a bit and stood back up. His own legs were aching a bit from the weight and freezing temperatures. He could internally hear the crack in his knees for doing so, but managed to stand up just the same and moved on. It wasn't long before he began walking did he feel Phineas' arms wrap a bit tighter around him.

"Thanks...", he whispered quietly before nodding off to sleep.

For a moment, Heinz forgot how cold everything was. He felt an old warmth come into him as he smiled back at Phineas. He had to force himself to believe he had just been thanked, and was overjoyed to know it was a "thank you" from his son.

While Ferb trudged on, happy to see that his brother was being well taken care of, was met by Candace who gently hugged him.

"You holding up okay, Ferb?", she asked. "Not wanting to sound like a nag or anything."

"I'm fine.", Ferb nodded before being surprised as he was picked up off the ground by his sister.

"Wouldn't mind if I gave you a break, would you?", she asked with a smile.

Ferb simply smiled back and allowed Candace to carry him as he coughed into his shoulder. In the back, Baljeet gave a violent sneeze and wiped his nose with his hands, only to find blood mixed with the mucus.

"Aw man!", he groaned.

"Here.", Isabella and Buford said at the same time, each offering him a handkerchief.

"Thank you.", he sighed, taking the two pieces of cloth and using them to stop the blood flow.

"No problem.", Buford shrugged.

"We're all looking out for each other.", Isabella smiled.

By the time the worst of the storm blew over them, it was still bitterly cold, and wind was still blowing by them.

"Dad.", Candace began, coming up as Phineas continued to sleep on the man's back. "We should find shelter soon. It's gonna get dark before long."

Doof nodded in agreement and everyone looked around, trying to find something. Then Buford noticed a small cave a bit up the side of the mountain they were traveling along. No clear path lead up to it, but it was climbable. Heinz crouched back down near the ground and Candace helped him slide Phineas off his back.

"Phineas..", Doof began gently, shaking the boy a bit. "Phineas.. Wake up."

Phineas sniffled a bit and shook his head. He woke up, a bit surprised he fell asleep and quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry..", he said. "I-I didn't mean to-"

"Phineas it's alright.", Candace said. "We need you to wake up now, alright?"

Phineas gave a nod as he rubbed his eyes. He yawned and looked around, wondering where they were.

"Phineas?", Doof began. "We found a cave to sleep in tonight. You think you can climb up there?"

He pointed it out in the dimming sunlight and Phineas blinked, peering at it. He gave a small nod and they began to ascend. Buford and Ferb stayed back where there were bushes near the bottom. A fire would most definitely be needed for this night and they were the only ones with enough skill and strength to carry the wood and climb at the same time. Doofenshmirtz took the first climb, finding a decent route to go by, soon followed by Candace. Then Baljeet, Phineas, and Isabella. But as they climbed, some of the ice on one rock, caused Isabella's hand to slip from under her.

With a yelp and lost footing, Isabella hit her face on the mountain side and began to slide back down with a small shriek in terror.

**_"ISABELLA!"_**, Phineas cried out in fear as he slid back down for her.

Digging her fingers into the dirt underneath her, Isabella managed to stop herself mostly, though her face was hurting with a terrible sting. By the time Phineas came down to her, he reached out a hand. She took it and he began to help pull her up.

"Isabella, are you alright?!", he asked, fear still having a firm grip on him. "Holy cow! You're bleeding!"

"I- ow! I-I'll be alright, Phineas.", Isabella said, wincing a bit from the pain as the wind blew by her. "Let's just get up there."

Phineas helped her climb back up while Doof and Candace watched with worry from the edge.

"Is everything okay down there?", Doofenshmirtz called out.

"Isabella's hurt!", Phineas replied.

"No, Phineas. It's alright. It's just a scratch.", Isabella tried to reassure.

"Isabella, you're bleeding the Nile river!", Phineas retorted, slightly glaring at her. "Ferb's already saying he's just got a cough, I don't need YOU lying about your health too!"

Isabella cringed a bit, a little fearful of her lover being mad at her, a little guilty for saying it was nothing, and a little touched Phineas would care this much for her. They finally reached the top where Doof and Candace quickly whisked Isabella into the cave and pulled out the first-aid kit to help her.

"Phineas, set up a circle of rocks with Baljeet for the fire, please.", Candace ordered as she walked in with Doof and Isabella.

Phineas did as told and the two were done by the time Ferb and Buford managed to climb their way up. He sat nearby while Ferb worked on the fire, listening in on how Isabella was doing, though he forced himself not to look.

"Ow... It stings..", Isabella whimpered.

"It's only doing some good.", Heinz reassured. "I'm sorry this has to hurt."

Isabella gave a nod, tears slipping by her eyes while it went on. Phineas felt the guilt weighing heavy on him as he listened.

"Eesshh.. You got yourself pretty deep in there.", Candace noted, making Phineas' guts swim.

"Well fortunately, we wont have to dig anything out.", Doof said, trying to keep positive, though the young boy felt anything but.

"Doofenshmirtz.", Candace sighed.

"Sorry! I'm just saying!", he cringed, a tad bit guilty.

Candace sighed a bit and continued working.

"How many q-tips are you going to use?", Doof asked after a moment.

"She won't stop bleeding!", Candace groaned, making Phineas sick to his stomach.

"I'm sorry...", Isabella said quietly.

"No, you're fine, Izzy.", Candace shook her head.

"Candace, you're probably just gonna have to put on the band-aids NOW and let it coagulate later.", Doof said, slightly rolling his eyes while doing so. "We have a limited supply here, remember?"

"I know! Sorry. I just like a clean job.", Candace shrugged.

Phineas shivered hearing them talk. It was just too much for him. He tried to think positive like he normally did. It was the only thing he could do at the moment and so as Baljeet, Buford, and Ferb sat around the fire with him.

Baljeet took out the handkerchiefs and handed Buford his asking, "Want this back?"

"I'm good.", the bully said uneasily at the sight of the blood and mucus on the rag.

Phineas smiled a bit as his friends were near and began to ask around for some extra reassurance.

"She's gonna be alright, right?", Phineas asked the others. "I-I mean, how bad can one scratch be? It'll heal up soon. ...right?"

"Well..", Baljeet began as his scientific understandings took over his tact. "It would really depend on how deep the scratch is and if anything has already infected it which I'm sure it has. But if Doofenshmirtz and Candace can clean it up nicely then yes it should be alright."

Phineas smiled a bit in relief at this and relaxed some.

"That's good to-"

"Although..", Baljeet continued, interrupting the other as he pondered the situation more and more. "If left unchecked, the wound could easily become infected with dirt and bacteria and if left as it is, she would become very very sick and would have to be taken to a hospital where doctors would have to treat it very carefully. And considering that we are out in the middle of nowhere with no quick means of transportation, it would take a long time in itself to even get to a town, let alone a hospital. Plus the colder temperatures, especially of the night time, would not be very helpful at all to her condition which could lead to-"

A strong, large fist found it's way to Baljeet's face and rammed hard into it, causing the nerd to fall over backwards and cry out in agony as he held his nose which began to bleed once again.

"OWWW! Ow ow ow ow ow ow! What was that for Buford?!", Baljeet asked as he sat back up.

"I'm sure she'll be alright.", Ferb tried to reassure with a sheepish grin. "Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Candace are doing as good of a job as they can. Going to the hospital is a VERY RARE POSSIBILITY...", he shot Baljeet a dirty scowl before turning back to his brother with a comforting smile. "So there really is no need to worry."

But Phineas can't help himself but worry as the thoughts stained the innocence of his mind. Infections? Hospitals? And what was Baljeet going to say about the cold temperatures? _Frost bite? _Whatever the case would've been, Candace applied the band-aides and paused at one point as she and Heinz looked over their handy-work.

"Another for reinforcement?", Phineas heard her asking Doofenshmirtz.

"...Maybe just one.", Doof gave a small nod.

"...Alright, there. Isabella, can you still talk, move your mouth and everything?", Candace asked.

Isabella managed a small smile and then explained, gently holding a hand to her band-aides, "It hurts if I smile any more than that.. I can still talk."

"I'm sorry, Kiddo.", Candace sighed.

"It'll be alright.", Isabella tried to reassure. "Thanks guys!"

She skipped over to where Phineas was sitting as the young inventor stared at the fire. She tried to smile at him, but only saw his sorrowful expression and sighed a bit. She sat down next to him.

"Hey, Phineas. Whatcha doin?", she said, earning a glance. "...Hey, it'll be alright. This'll heal soon."

Phineas only kept quiet. His mind was churning on so many things. His stomach hurt more and more with every thought. Everyone else gathered around the fire, happy for something warming, but one by one, the others began to worry as Phineas had yet to speak.

"..Phineas?", Candace asked, a little worried about her brother's silence. "What's on your mind?"

"...What if it's not worth it?", Phineas wondered aloud, hugging his knees tightly as he sat in the cave.

"WHAT!?", everyone gaped, alarm quickly rising.

"Ph-phineas, what are you talking about?", Baljeet asked.

"What if Perry doesn't even wanna come home?", Phineas continued to question, staring into the fire before him. "What if we're going through all this trouble for nothing?"

"Phineas!", Isabella squealed in fear. "Y-you can't be saying this! It's all going to be worth it! It's going to be alright, isn't it?"

Phineas hung his head a bit, not wanting to respond. Isabella, though, forced his gaze to meet hers, her eyes were wide with worry. It wasn't like Phineas to give up. Not even back at the deserted island. Even then, he couldn't believe there was NOTHING they could do. There HAD to be something and he knew it! Her heart pounded in fear as she shook her head, trying not to cry.

"Say it'll be alright.", she begged. "...Cause... Cause every time you do... It always is. It ALWAYS turns out for the best. That's one of the most amazing things about being with you! It's ALWAYS a happy ending!"

Phineas only stared back. A tear finally slipped down his face, and when it slipped, several more did and more were on the way. He couldn't hold it back anymore. His head throbbed with a headache, his stomach was squirming and knotting up as he just stared on at the girl he loved. He gently reached up and touched the band-aides that laid on her face. The moment his hand touched the sensitive surface, Isabella pulled back and winced in slight pain. The next second she was surprised and looked more clearly at Phineas' sullen expression. That's what he was thinking about. Her pain. And it frustrated her that just because she scratched herself, he was suddenly calling it quits on the whole thing!

She took Phineas' hand in hers and pressed it against her scratch, holding a strong face to show she was alright. Isabella HAD to make him understand, they couldn't worry about every last detail. NO ONE thought it would be a walk through the park on this job!

Phineas was surprised when he felt Isabella's hands around his but when he saw what she was doing, yeah. He got the message. But looking closely enough at her, it was in vain. The smallest details, jumped out at him. Her eyebrows, forced to furrow together when they twitched in a wanting to cringe. Tears held behind her eyes, making them glassy-looking. Even her hands shook slightly. And Phineas felt worse still.

He slipped his hand from hers and looked back at the ground. Isabella stood up suddenly, scowl on her face, hands on her hips, fear more than frustration seizing her. This wasn't the Phineas she knew. And she wasn't going to let him continue on in this manner without a fight.

"Phineas, please!", Isabella pleaded. "I love you too much to see you do this to yourself!"

"I love you too, Isabella.", Phineas admitted, standing up with her, matching her expression. "That's why I can't stand to see you hurt like this! And if that wasn't enough, look around! Look at where we are! We're in a cave, in the Rockies, in ALBERTA, CANADA! WANDERING around aimlessly for my pet platypus! We're all hungry, Ferb's sick! Baljeet's been nose bleeding every morning we've been here, Candace has brought along my platypus' nemesis to help us, Norm DIED! _HE DIED._ For what?! In helps of me possibly finding Perry who probably doesn't even WANT to come back home because he's just that faithful and loyal to his job! And it's. _ALL. MY. **FAULT!**_ If I hadn't insisted on getting Perry's locket off that fake platypus, I could've just as easily have bought into his lie and we would've moved on by now! Instead, look at us! Look at you! Look at that cut on your face! And it's MY fault! I can't keep this up anymore guys. I...I don't want to keep seeing everyone get hurt..."

Phineas was openly crying now. Wiping away the tears now as he crouched back down and sat on the cave floor. Everyone sat in silence for a moment. Isabella could feel tears pour down her face as well. Ferb was the first one to speak up.

"Phineas, I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier, but please understand. I'm 12 years-old. I know just as much about colds as you do, if not MORE.", he explained, earning some of his brother's attention. "I know what I'm risking, but I didn't want to give up on our adventure. I want to find Perry with you no matter what happens."

"And don't feel bad about me and my nose bleeding. That is perfectly common among nerds!", Baljeet said, ending with half a laugh.

"And look at me! Nothing bad has ever happened to me-EEE!", Buford squealed as snow was suddenly poured down the back of his shirt, courtesy of Baljeet.

Baljeet snickered while the bully attempted to remove it and Doofenshmirtz couldn't help but laugh.

"Nerd win!", he said, high-fiving his fellow nerd.

Phineas offered a small laugh as the others did so, but he still felt pretty much the same. Candace came over then.

"Phineas..", she started softly. "This whole thing isn't your fault. I mean, you didn't tell me to go run off and find Perry's nemesis. I did that. I did that cause I wanted to help you."

"Phineas, I know Perry the Platypus.", Heinz said, taking a turn at helping him feel better. "I know Perry the Platypus, probably better than anyone ever could aside from his little animal friends! Now, remember, I'm his nemesis. HIS NEMESIS. The one person in the entire world that he should hate the absolute most! We DESPISE each other. We really do! And I know that doesn't sound really nice going along with your sweet absent-minded regular little platypus, but it's the cold honest truth. And even though I'm his nemesis, Perry the Platypus, on a NUMBER of occasions...HELPS me."

Phineas looked at him curiously. The mad man smiled a bit and sat down next to him.

"He doesn't help me, in taking over the Tri-State Area, I'll clear that up right now.", he went on to explain. "But he helps me emotionally, physically, and even psychologically. In more ways than one. More often than not, he helps me feel much better about myself. About how evil I am, or what Vanessa may think of me, or what my family thinks of me.. Hey, my parents hate me even more than I hate Perry the Platypus! And he helps me feel so much better about myself afterwards. When I feel put down, alone, like there's really nothing worth living for in the world. He helps me with that. Perry the Platypus, despite the fact that we're enemies to each other, actually cares about me quite a bit. From feeling emotionally down about myself, to being sick, to being in some sort of life-threatening situation, he's always ready to help me. And not just cause we're best friends, but because he's THAT much of a good guy. And if he could care about ME enough to just throw a blanket on while I'm sick and sleeping, I can only guess how much more he cares about his family. I will say this, he cares about you, MUCH MORE than his job, and you can get a guarantee on that."

Phineas smiled a bit more.

"Really?"

"Trust me. I may be an evil genius, but I don't lie ALL the time.", Doofenshmirtz reassured with a chuckle.

"I guess... It's just... I dunno.. I hate seeing you guys all suffer like this...", Phineas said, slightly frowning again.

Candace smiled sympathetically and scooped up her little brother, hugging him close to her while he sat on her lap.

"Phineas, did you know that every day, you remind me of, Dad?", Candace asked softly.

Phineas looked up at his sister in slight surprise. He knew immediately who she was talking about. Their father, his inspiration. The man that Phineas never met and knew he never would.

"You're so much like him.", she went on with a slight chuckle.

"Because I build stuff?", he asked.

"No.", his sister shook her head gently before smiling at him again. "Because of how much you care about family. You always amaze me with how far you're willing to go, or how much you're willing to do for any one of us. In African jungles, or the Canadian Rockies, nothing stops you from doing whatever it takes to keep us happy and together. Just like Dad."

Phineas smiled a bit, being comforted by these words. He leaned his head back into his sister and asked quietly, trying not to choke up, "You really think so?"

"I know so.", she said, nuzzling her face into his hair. "And we're willing to return that, just for you. No matter what. Perry's part of the family, Phineas. You can't put a price on family. Adopted or blood."

Phineas smiled a bit more, his optimism returning. He looked at Isabella who was still slightly upset.

"...I'm sorry.."

"...Me too.."

They managed to smile at each other and were happy for that. Candace continued to hug her brother as they sat in silence. The fire cracked and popped a bit and after a while of listening to it, a smile crept onto Candace's face. She began to quietly hum a small tune. It echoed in the cave, but it wasn't long before the others recognized it.

"...Perry, you know you are a kid's best friend. Your more than just a passing trend. Your like a treat from a candy store..", she began to sing, making Phineas smile more. "Oh Perry, we love you more than ice cream cakes. We love you more than bugs and snakes. We love you more than all things mentioned from before. Oh Perry... Your extraordinary. Your kinda short and hairy. The color of a blueberry..."

"Yes Perry! So come home Perry. Come home Perry, come home...", Candace, Phineas, and Ferb sang together.

"Oh Perry..", Phineas began, trying hard not laugh as he remembered the up coming lyrics. "I think its kinda scary. I can't find you anywhere-y. It fills me with despair-y."

"Oh Perry! I'm allergic to dairy..", Candace said as Phineas giggled. "I'm gonna move to the Prairie. And change my name to Larry..."

"...Wait, did you say, 'LARRY'?", Heinz asked, now in absolute bewilderment.

"She ran out of rhymes when she came up with that verse.", Phineas chuckled.

"Well yeah, but I mean, really? LARRY? First off, you could've gone with the girl version of the name Perry. Secondly, if you were going to INSIST on changing your name to ANY boy name, why not a variation of YOUR name?", Doof continued to ask.

"Actually, I think if any boy name, Kevin would be a great one for you.", Isabella noted earning a few agreements.

At the suggestion, Candace's eyes widened. She glanced to a corner of the cave where her constant envision of the talking zebra in a rocking chair sat. The zebra smiled over at her and waved.

"...Moving on...", she said, trying not to sound uneasy.

"So come home Perry. Come home Perry, come home...", the kids sang together. "So come home Perry. Come home Perry, come home..."

Ferb took up a new verse with a smile, "Bartholomew. It's the first name we chose for you. You're a beautiful shade of blue, and you make a great sound too.. Bartholomew. You don't say 'woof' or 'mew'. But we worry when you go 'achoo'. And you know that we love you."

Doof clear his throat and tried to sing along as well, earning a few giggles from the kids. "O Perry,  
Everyday you fight with me. And even though you're my enemy, we both know it was just..meant to be.."

"...I'm sorry to keep interrupting the song, but 'meant to be'?", Phineas asked.

"YEAH that doesn't sound gay.", Buford smirked.

"W-well I meant it i-in the sense that we were MEANT to hate each other! I-It's a complicated emotion!", Doof stuttered, his face flushing a brilliant red. "NO we're not GAY! W-w-we hate each other...with a passion. That's all I can say about it!"

Candace only shook her head with a smile and kept it going, soon joined back in with the others.

"So come home, Perry. Come home, Perry, come ho-oo-oome... So come home, Perry. Come home, Perry, come home...", at the end of the song, Candace and Phineas hugged each other a bit tighter as they finished it. "Come home, Perry.. Come ho-oome...!"

"Bcckckckckkck!", Phineas imitated with a smile.

The others laughed a bit at this and Heinz spoke up, "That doesn't sound like Perry the Platypus!"

"It's the best I can do.", Phineas shrugged.

"Like to hear you do better.", Buford challenged.

"Gdddddd.", Ferb tried.

"Bkkkkkkkkkk.", Candace tried before breaking down into laughter with the others.

"Dang-la-lang-lang!", Heinz tried, earning an uproar of laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh my gosh, that sounds NOTHING like him!", the kids laughed. "Ha ha ha! Are you trying to imitate a banjo?! Ha ha! What was that?! Ha ha ha ha!"

"Ha ha ha! Alright, alright, so I can't do it, but I'd like to see anyone who could.", Heinz chuckled with a shrug

"Krrrrrrrr..."

All eyes, wide as can be, turned around in astonishment to find Isabella sitting there with a slightly proud smile.

"...How-?", Phineas began.

Isabella shrugged and answered, "I never knew how I could do it, but I didn't see a lot of other people doing it. I think it has something to do with my uvula, but I don't know. I can't see it."

"When did you learn to make THAT sound?", Heinz asked.

"When I was four and I was trying to imitate a pigeon on the TV.", Isabella said. "It sounds pretty much the same, except I had to use my voice at the same time."

When the laughter died out some, Phineas got off Candace's lap and gave his apologies for his mood to everyone. They put it behind them and leaned back against cave walls as the night settled in.

"...So...you LOVE me?", Isabella asked Phineas while Doofenshmirtz and Ferb left to get wood.

Phineas looked over, slightly surprised she brought this up. He noticed her smile though, and smiled a bit himself.

"...Yes.", he admitted, feeling his heart skip a beat while doing so. "...yes I do."

Isabella scooted herself closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"...I love you too.", she replied.

"...So you've said.", he chuckled.

Phineas leaned over and gently kissed Isabella on the cheek, over top her band-aides. Isabella couldn't help but giggle, too happy for this and quickly brought a hand to her face.

"Ow! Stop making me smile so much!", she said between laughs.

"I'm sorry!", Phineas said, laughing a bit himself. "I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"No, you're not.", Isabella retorted with a smirk.

"No. No I'm not.", Phineas admitted before kissing her cheek again.

"Aah! Ow! Stop it!", Isabella giggled more.

* * *

_Laura: Lol. I'm not claiming any copy right on Dan and Swampy's song "Come Home Perry" but you just KNEW we had to throw the song in there and we thought it would be nice if Doof got in on the action. XD_

_Amber: It's just too short. XP_

_Laura: WOW.. gee Amber. We're already at 15. Can you believe it's only four more chapters until the end already? O.O  
_

_Amber: Please review! ^_^_


	16. Chapter 16

As the group rested in the cave, Isabella tried to stop herself from laughing and hurting herself even more. Then suddenly, and very clearly, they heard the long howl of a wolf. Everyone instantly grew silent at hearing it and Baljeet began to worry.

"That...sounds p-pretty close.", he said.

"Um..", Doof began, before putting on a smile, trying to be reassuring. "I-I'm sure they're actually quite a bit off from us. I mean, really! Wh-what are the chances that wolves would find us here?"

"What are the chances that something lives in this cave?", Buford questioned, bringing the reality of the situation to everyone's attention.

They were deadly silent. All of them. Doof then reached over to the fire and took out a piece, the top of it being on fire, the other still untouched and therefore, some means of a torch. He stood back up.

"I'm gonna go scope out the place.", he quickly decided.

"Yeah, thanks.", Candace nodded with an uneasy chuckle.

He started heading back into the cave as they waited.

"...Should we do something in case those wolves DO come up here?", Phineas asked.

"Well... we DO have a height advantage on them..", Candace pondered. "I doubt they could climb a mountain side. Not unless this SPECIFIC cave was theirs..."

They waited in silence and soon Doofenshmirtz came back.

"Well there's nothing but a dead end, a couple of yards back there, so we should be alright.", he nodded, earning a few relieved sighs.

And then he earned a few growls and everyone jumped to their feet and whirled around to find a pack of timber wolves at the mouth of the cave. Snarling, growling, and obviously hungry at the sight of the intruders. The kids quickly backed up and Doofenshmirtz handed the torch to Candace.

"Candace, hon.", he whispered quietly. "Take the kids to the back. Alright?"

"But Da-", Candace began when one of the wolves, one with black and gray patching, charged at them, aiming at Phineas.

As the wolf leapt for Phineas, Doofenshmirtz quickly sprang to action, tackling it down. The fight was on as Doof wrestled with the canine, throwing it off him and across the cave floor.

"Heinz!", Phineas gasped in fear.

Doofenshmirtz and the wolf circled each other like animals. The man was no longer thinking, just acting. Acting on pure, raw, paternal and ocelot instincts as he growled warningly at the canine. The dog ignored it though and continued it's attack, clawing at the man who tried to dodge and claw back.

The kids watched in fear as Candace held the torch tightly. Phineas then felt a nudge on his arm and looked over to find it coming from Ferb who was still staring ahead of him.

"Phineas, give me your knife.", he whispered urgently.

"Wha?"

"Your knife! Gimmie your knife!", he whispered, now frantic.

Phineas quickly pulled it out and once Ferb got his hands on it, he held the knife out in time as a second wolf with white and brown fur leapt at him from another angle. The boy was taken down by t he attack, though the knife dug into the wolf as screams echoed throughout the cave.

While Ferb was dealing with that wolf, another one with black and brown came up still to Candace and the kids. Candace quickly held out her torch, waving it back and forth as she tried to fend it off.

"BACK OFF!", she growled, hoping to look ferocious.

The canine scooted back to avoid the flames but continued to circle them, trying to find a way at them.

"I-I'm warning you!", she said, struggling to keep her confidence.

Her eyes darted back across the cave where Doof and the wolf continued their fight, now tumbling against one another across the floor. Biting, scratching, snarling, hissing, and yipping or crying out in pain. Doofenshmirtz sunk his teeth into the neck of the wolf, causing it to thrash and howl in pain until the tear against his human teeth was too much. The wolf managed to kick him off and Doof was sent backwards across the floor. When the canine jumped out at him, Heinz kicked it hard and sent it back into the fire where it howl and cried some more in pain, soon tumbling out and running off with whimpers and cries, leaving the man tired and bleeding.

Ferb heaved the second wolf off of him, it being dead and sat up to only find a few scratches into his shoulders and a pool of blood staining his jacket as the dog laid, still bleeding onto the floor of the cave. But that was the least of his worries as his attention was caught by Candace's scream as the wold tried to jump at her.

The teenager shoved the torch down into its awaiting mouth, making it pull back with a yelp. Before the dog knew it, something else had jumped onto his back and Ferb quickly dug the knife into it as well. The wolf howled in pain, bucking and kicking, trying to get the boy off of him. Ferb was suddenly thrown to the floor, knife still in hand as the dog tried to run out of the cave, stumbling and quickly dying at the mouth of it.

The last one was going to make its move, as it slowly advanced on Buford and Baljeet as the two backed up into the wall of the cave.

"So NERD, what bright ideas do you got now?", Buford asked.

"It's HAVE and just gimme a second...", Baljeet began, looking around in panic.

He noticed the large icicle that hung from the ceiling, just in arm's reach and quickly grabbed for it, breaking it off with ease.

"Buford, quick! Take this!", he said, handing it over.

"Wha-?"

Before Buford could ask why, the wolf leapt at them, the embrace of the sharp end of the icicle stopping it from hurting them, but putting in enough force to send the bully back against the wall, creating a sturdy enough base for the icicle to go deeper into the wolf's throat.

"EWWWWW!", Baljeet and Buford groaned as they saw the bloody red tip of the ice break through the other side of the throat.

"Yeah, great thinking, nerd!", the bully said, tossing down the dieing body.

"At least we are alive.", Baljeet snapped back.

The moment the fight was over, Candace quickly ran to her dad's side and looked over him as the man recovered his breath. Aside from his clothes being torn, Doofenshmirtz had bite marks in his right arm, a large scratch into his left, and scratches all along side his face with a bite into his left leg. While Candace worked on helping him, Isabella and Phineas worked on helping Ferb with his scratches.

"...Thank you.", Phineas said to Doof as they did their work.

Doofenshmirtz smiled and replied, "Phineas, it's... It's alright. As long as you guys are okay."

Phineas gave a nod and a small smile, but Doof quickly winced in pain.

"OWW!", he whined. "Candace, that stings!"

"Well no duh, Mr. Hero!", she snarled back at him. "It means it's working! Why on earth did you fight like THAT?! Why didn't you just try to stab them like Ferb did? Didn't you know you could've died?!"

She sounded angry but tears were pouring down her face as she spoke. Heinz quickly felt guilty and shrunk back into the wall of the cave.

"...Sorry..", he muttered quietly.

"No, Dr. D. She's not mad at you.", Phineas explained quietly. "She only yells like that and everything when she's really concerned, especially when it comes to family."

"I kinda got the idea by the tears.", Doof noted.

"Why DID you act like that? The hissing and the four-legs and stuff?", Isabella asked, earning an awkward chuckle.

"Well I- aaah! Candace!"

"You're whining worse than Isabella!", Candace groaned.

"I was hurt worse than Isabella!", Doof argued. "Augh! Anyway! The thing is that not long after I was born, my parents disowned me and I was raised by ocelots for a good majority of my life. That's why my voice is as gruff as it is. I've gotten over most of the instincts by now, but I guess I just saw red there with the wolves and it just suddenly came back at me before I had a chance to stop them. So yes. THAT'S why I was acting like a cat."

"Ohhhh!", the kids said in understand.

"Well.. Thanks again, Doof.", Candace said, earning a nod.

Suddenly Ferb's stomach growled loudly and while there were a few chuckles about it, they were easily reminded of the food status.

"...Shoot..", Buford sighed. "I almost forgot how hungry I was..."

"What are you talking about?", Doof asked. "Ferb has a perfectly good meal right by the front of the cave."

Everyone looked over there, but once their eyes laid on the wolf and the implication was caught, the response was exactly the same, "EEEEWWW!"

"But that is SO inhumane!", Baljeet cringed.

"Well you're not a Hindi are you?", Doof asked expectantly.

"No. But.."

"You're not a vegan are you?"

"No."

"Vegetarian?"

"No!"

"Well, Baljeet, I know it sounds gross.", Heinz went on to say. "But trust me, a lot of people eat wolves. There's whole recipes that call for wolf! It's a bit tough, but it's actually pretty good! Just like deer, rabbits, squirrel, and anything else people hunt. You'd be actually very surprised what people have eaten and ENJOYED throughout the course of their life."

"...I guess.", Baljeet said. "It just..."

"...doesn't really sound appetizing...", Isabella agreed.

"A little bit of garlic, a li-"

"WE DON'T NEED TO HEAR THAT AGAIN!", Baljeet, Isabella, Phineas, and Ferb all shouted back at Buford.

"Stop repeating yourself! Garlic is not good with EVERYTHING!", Baljeet groaned.

"Be glad there aren't any Italians nearby to hear you, Squirt.", Doof warned. "Phineas, can I borrow your knife?"

"...Ew...", Phineas groaned, handing the bloody knife over to the doctor.

Doof wiped off the blood from the blade onto his coat and walked over to the wolf. He asked Ferb to take the torch Candace sat down nearby them and go get more wood and a long, sturdy, stick from the bushes below them, asked Buford to carry over the second wolf, and dragged his further into the cave, nearby the fire, where he could see better.

While Ferb and Buford did their parts, Doofenshmirtz carefully skinned the wolves as best as he could. He used a couple of stones to break off the legs, the knife for the head and tail, and while he tossed the head out of the cave, he kept the skin and tails nearby between him and Isabella.

"You may wanna keep that.", he said to the young girl. "These things ate pretty good and the fur's really soft."

"What would I use fur for?", Isabella asked, slightly freaked he would suggest she would.

"Oh all sorts of things!", Doof smiled as he continued his work. "Hats, gloves, scarf, a nice blanket, I'm sure. Fur's pretty warm. And the tails would make a great decoration for almost anything."

Isabella looked at the skin carefully, taking in what she had heard. Granted, many girls LIKED fur coats, but she was always against the idea of harming animals. But then again... This wasn't hunting animals and hurting them JUST for their fur... This was more like for survival. In fact, it was more like the native Americans than anything. Using everything they had in their kill.

"...Do I have to do anything special to the fur?", she asked.

"Just dry out the skin-side of it.", Heinz said, smiling at her while his hands worked at cutting up the meat. "That's part of what I was going to use the wood for before I threw it in the pile."

"Use the wood for what?", Ferb asked as he came back into the cave, a bit out of breath.

"Perfect! Just in time!", Doof nodded.

He took a stick and carved it until the end was sharp. He then stuck it through the meat that he cut up and propped it up between rocks so the meat cooked over top the fire. While that was going, he carefully carved into a couple of the others sticks and used it to prop up the skin to dry.

"Who's gonna use that and what for?", Phineas asked.

"I'm gonna use it to make a blanket for, Ferb.", Isabella said, already digging into her backpack for the sewing supplies she brought along for needed mends. "Dr. D., Ferb, do you need some of your clothes mended, while I'm at it?"

Doof looks down at his torn coat and chuckled a bit.

"I guess so.", he said. "Man! those things had long claws!"

Ferb happened to glance down at his coat and noticed he also had a few tears in the shoulders.

As Doof cooked the meat, Phineas held the knife in his hands. He had to smile a bit, despite the nasty blood all over it. Grandpa Ohio couldn't have been more right in saying that it would be lucky. Who knew what the result would be if they didn't have it, not only against the wolves, but even in collecting fire wood. But then he was puzzled about something.

"...I wonder...", he began slowly, turning it over in his hands. "How do you sharpen these things?"

"Rub it against a rock.", Isabella and Doofenshmirtz replied at the same time.

They looked at each other in slight, happy, surprise.

"Fireside Girl-Scouts.", Isabella said.

"Experience.", Doof replied.

Isabella nodded in understanding and went back to the original topic, "The way you sharpen a knife is to run the blade against a rock and thin it out."

"Not only does it work great on knives, but even scissors!", Doof continued. "And not just rocks, but other metals too."

"...Cool!", Phineas smiled. "Can you show me?"

Isabella came over and helped Phineas out. When the skin was dried, she cut the legs out, patched up the holes, and attached the two wolf skins into one large blanket for Ferb. She asked him to try it out, fur facing him and upon doing so, Ferb was greatly appreciative. But also...slightly confused.

"Why me?", he asked. "Why not Phineas?"

"Cause normally you're the only one out of luck when we're sleeping at night.", Isabella explained. "Phineas and I keep each other warm, Buford sleeps on top of Baljeet, and Candace has Doofenshmirtz..."

'That's pretty weird..', Phineas noted to himself. 'Isn't he a bit old for her?'

"So you're the only one without anything to keep warm aside from our thin blankets.", Isabella said.

"Well thank you.", Ferb nodded. "It's very nice."

Isabella smiled in pride of herself and went on to attach the tails to one another.

"Whatcha gonna use those for?", Phineas asked.

"A scarf for you.", Isabella said, snipping at her thread. "You could use one."

"Thanks, Isabella.", Phineas beamed.

When the meat was finished cooking and cooled off, they ate and actually had to compliment it being better than they would first guess. Heinz was satisfied he was able to do SOMETHING right, though to him the meat was still a bit tough. When dinner was finished, he promised to stay awake for the night. While Ferb may have been against the idea, Doofenshmirtz was persistent and the matter was soon dropped when Ferb's health was brought back up.

Isabella was the last to go to sleep as she finished up Doof and Ferb's coats and after she was done, the kids slept in peace. Doofenshmirtz sat near the fire, having a chance to think things over about the recent events. He was obviously surprised and worried by Phineas' troubled mind. His first inclination was to guess that this would turn into some sort of emotional scar later on in his future, but then he thought about it more carefully. Knowing Phineas' personality as well as he does now, it would seem to make sense that he would look back on this adventure as an adult and just think of the good times and if he ever DID think of the bad times, be easily reminded of how good it turned out in the end since apparently it always IS good in the end, despite the odds. But going back to the mere fact that Phineas had so much bottled up emotion, it made things come into clearer focus now. How he worried so much about Ferb's health. How he was scared when Isabella was hurt, aside from the fact that he loves her, which was a nice note to keep. His son, already in love and already showing good qualities in being protective and caring of who he loves. Hopefully not to be creepily obsessive in his later years like Heinz himself was, but back to the original thought train. WHY Phineas was so easily upset about things like Ferb and Norm and Isabella, was also brought into focus. Perry and himself. Phineas had already thought he witnessed the death of a beloved pet, so that easily left something to mark his memory. Health was magnified in his attention, that to even hear of his brother being sick, it's easy to skip down the line and see it only getting worse and worse and leading up to a potential death. Like Perry. And also it scared him to see anyone physically hurt or dying like Isabella and Norm, because he was lied to as a child that Doof's body was pretty much destroyed in a construction accident. And Heinz felt himself back to worrying. He was supposed to be dead in the perspective of his child. And here he was again, caught in between wanting to tell Phineas who he was, and fearing it would only do more harm than good.

_"Well even if they do, the SHOULD know who their dad is, shouldn't they? Don't they actually have a right to know who their biological father is?"_

'...But do I have the right to hurt my child and call his mother a liar?', Doof wondered. 'Aside from a DNA scan, what do I have to prove that I'm even related to my kids? No one looks anything like me..'

As if on cue, Candace tossed and turned in her sleep as she has done before, and began to mutter. Doof stopped his thoughts to listen. It would be interesting to hear what his daughter had to say in her subconscious.

"But... No.. It's silly...", she murmured, making her dad smile. "I can't have taken over the Tri-State Area cause.. Cause that's Daddy's job.."

It took a great deal of will power not to laugh hearing this.

"...No your honor, I was still in my prison uniform...", Candace continued to mutter. "So I didn't...rob..."

'Oh my gosh, I have an evil child!', Heinz thought in delight. 'This is just GREAT!'

"Keh.. It-! But- no! Kevin! Kevin framed me! Curse you Kevin the Zebra!", Candace said, now tossing more frantically. "Mom, you've got to listen to me-EEE!"

She suddenly sat up, wide-eyed and fully awake as her dream ended. After realizing she was in reality, Candace blinked and looked around, finding her dad rolling with forced-silent laughter on the floor.

"...Dad?", she asked quietly.

Once he caught his breath, Doofenshmirtz sat back up, still smiling widely at Candace.

"Morning, Sunshine.", he said quietly, trying to keep his voice from squealing. "And by morning, of course I mean midnight."

"Uh.. Yeah.. But.. What's so funny?", she asked.

"You."

"What?"

"You were talking in your sleep about taking over the Tri-State Area, robbing banks, being framed, and something about your mom needing to listen to you.", he said.

"Oh.. Yeah... The last part of it must've been me sleep-busting again...", Candace noted.

"'Sleep-busting again'?", Doof questioned.

"I've gotten into the bad habit of trying to bust Phineas and Ferb to Mom IN MY SLEEP.", Candace explained. "So we called it sleep-busting."

"...Sorry to hear that.", Heinz said sadly.

"It's alright. Doesn't affect my sleeping much.", Candace said. "But it WAS a pretty weird dream. A man with a Picasso face and white hair was questioning me about what sort of crime I've committed and I was left to try to defend myself after already being framed by some weird talking zebra.."

"Whoa whoa whoa wait, did you say 'man with a Picasso face'?", Doof asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"...He had white hair?"

"Like a buzz-cut."

"And a unibrow?"

"How do you know what I'm imagining?"

"How did MAJOR MONOGRAM fit into your dreams?"

"What?!"

"That's what he looks like! And-and a big bushy mustache, right?"

"Yeah!"

"...That's just weird..", Doof shook his head.

"...Maybe I met him when I was little?", Candace asked.

"No.", he disagreed. "I didn't even know him until after I left."

"...Okay this is freaky.", Candace said uneasily. "It's like I met him, but then I forgot..."

"...Maybe you guys came across Perry's secret or something?", Doof asked. "And then he... I dunno. Wiped your memory or something."

"That would be freaky... But if my memory was wiped, how'd he appear in my subconscious?"

"Well there's a theory that memories are never forgotten to begin with. Your brain loses the access to them, but to observe the brain like a computer, it would still be there, needing something to help access them yet again. So in this case, you met him, forgot, but your subconscious which is like the underground trailing of everything in your memories and imagination, pulls pieces of it out and dumps it into your dreams. So whatever parts are real and what parts are dreams, it's undecipherable. But you still have a faint memory of him.", he explained, earning a wide smile from his daughter.

"I miss hearing you scientifically explain everything.", Candace said happily.

Doof chuckled, "Well with that being said, how's my OTHER rocket scientist? I see her brother's been doing just fine."

Candace's smile slowly disappeared and she looked back at the ground.

"...She's been hiding with Ducky Momo and Ms. Sunshine.", she replied sadly. "I... I haven't really cared much for science or math after you left..."

Doofenshmirtz was slightly surprised by this and scooted closer to her.

"Well what happened? I thought you LOVED science!"

"I did. I do! But... Well I was always discouraged about it.", Candace explained. "Mom...kinda...drilled it out of me... And then Phineas came along and with what HE does on a daily basis, I don't really have a lot of room to explore my OWN scientific discoveries."

Heinz felt a part of him be crushed hearing this. He still remembered how much Candace loved to do small science experiments in the kitchen, only at the young age of four. The water-tornado in the plastic jugs, red celery, popping corks off of soda bottles with baking soda and vinegar. It's why he bought her tinker toys, marble tracks, and magnetix for her birthdays and Christmases. When he left Candace and Linda, he was forced to take those toys with him because Linda threatened to throw them out. Anything to keep Candace and Phineas from being influenced to build. But he still played with them himself, once in a great while, when he missed the family or when he was bored. Yes, he lied to Perry, again. Vanessa didn't care much for those toys, but it was exactly what Candace loved to play with. And it was exactly that sort of precious memory the doctor held onto, that made him blow his top off at the platypus when Perry destroyed it all in one fell swoop. Doofenshmirtz had cherished the memories of what Candace did with them, that he sat everything up like she used to, only to watch it fall to pieces at the hand of his nemesis. And that wasn't to dig at Perry the Platypus, it was just a boundary he had sat up that not even his nemesis could cross. To top it now though, Candace had been so greatly influenced by her mother while growing up, she probably wouldn't really feel comfortable playing with them now even if she WAS allowed to visit him.

It was ironic, the way that Heinz worried so much that Phineas would be hurt, when really it was Candace. As the older sibling, she took the blunt of all the blows Linda's and Heinz's absence had left her to face, Phineas was left unscathed to simply understand whatever mistakes Candace made and do his best not to repeat. And in a way, it was pretty heroic.

While Candace was wrapped in her own memories of building things and old games she used to play, she was surprised to suddenly be hugged by her dad. She tried to look up, but the embrace was too close and she heard her dad chuckle.

"I'm sorry.. I just... I can't thank you enough for protecting, Phineas..", he said. "...and I'm sorry you had to be hurt the most..."

The teenager was slightly confused about this, but after small examination, she understood what her dad was saying. It helped lift a large weight off her chest to hear him say so, and she couldn't help but tear up a bit. She buried her face more into his jacket and hugged him in return.

Candace was soon back to sleep and Doofenshmirtz continued to keep the fire going and have his ears open for other predators. Not really too hard for him as he remembered his lawn gnome days. At least SOME of his childhood came in handy for him later on.

* * *

_Laura: Yes, I can very well imagine Heinz still acting like an ocelot (or any sort of feline behavior) from time to time. X3 Please review!_


	17. Chapter 17

The hours of darkness soon disappeared into the daylight of a beautiful sunrise. It filled the sky with a beautiful variety of orange and pink hues. The light landed on the children's faces and Phineas was the first to crack open his eyes. He yawned, sat up, and stretched. He turned his head to look out the mouth of the cave and found himself smiling. He felt a bit lucky to see the wonderful sunrise because it somehow made him feel hopeful. Like the rays could simply shine through any cloud in the sky and do away with it, or like all the shadows were gone and everywhere he looked, the sun would be there to light his path and he would no longer have to stumble through the darkness. Or perhaps, like some part of him knew that wherever Perry was, he was seeing the sunrise also, and thus was with him mentally. But Phineas wasn't smiling because he was with Perry mentally, it was because he knew that soon he be with him in person, once again. Soon he would be hugging the beloved platypus in his arms without worry of separation. It was this thought that was filling Phineas with so much hope. But of course, if Phineas planned on finding Perry, he'd have to wake the others.

Phineas yawned, and immediately afterwards, his eyes landed on Heinz who was curled up on the floor by the dying fire, fast asleep.

"Heinz!", he exclaimed in surprise. "You're supposed to be keeping an eye on the fire!".

Doofenshmirtz yawned and rolled over.

"Ugh, five more minutes, Candace...", he mumbled.

"Wh-? Doof, it's me. Phineas.", Phineas corrected.

"Whatever...", he rolled away from the voice and covered his head. "Five minutes, son."

"No. What? _No!_", Phineas replied as he got up, slightly confused. He came over and tugged on the man's arm. "Come on, we still have to find Perry!"

Doof yawned again and finally sat up.

"Alright, alright. I'm up.", he groaned.

He and Phineas woke up the others and, after Ferb complemented Isabella on the blanket and how effective it was, they packed up and were soon on their way.

"Hey, Dr. D.?", Phineas began as they made their way down the mountain side. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, kid. What?", Doof said.

"When I was waking you up, did you call me 'son'?", Phineas asked, causing Doofenshmirtz to nearly slip on the ice.

"What? I-I did?", he stuttered, looking back at Phineas.

"Yeah. You said, 'five minutes, SON'.", Phineas repeated.

"OH. Well I was um.. I-I was talking about.. About the sun! Yeah. You know, it was sunrise so the light was um.. W-was shining in my face. No I wasn't calling YOU my SON. HA!", Doof lied. "Ha ha! As IF. No offense, Phineas. It's just- no. No I wasn't calling you my son."

"Alright. Just curious.", Phineas shrugged.

Though the sunrise made Phineas feel better, hearing Ferb cough completely counter-acted the effects. He tried not to worry too much, though he did a poor job at it. He occasionally asked Ferb if he was okay and though he tried not to ask too many times, his concern was made clear to his brother.

Ferb wanted to cheer Phineas up a bit and lighten the mood, but he wasn't sure how. He knew his brother needed it. It was evident, not just in his concern for Ferb's well being, but in almost everything he did. He was shaky, and always took a look about the group, as if doing a head-count to make sure he had everyone nearby and they were doing alright.

Phineas suddenly felt something cold hit him in the back of the head, making him lose his footing and fall over. Turning around, he looked over to find Ferb holding a snowball in his hand with a smile hidden under his scarf. Everyone paused to see Phineas' reaction, but the boy smiled back and threw a mound of snow in return. Ferb ducked, but was soon hit in the stomach by a snowball from Buford who laughed. Phineas laughed and was soon hit in the face by Candace's snowball.

Scrambling to his feet, he ran ahead of the rest as the others threw snowballs at him and each other, and turned back. He scooped up his snow and threw it, hitting Isabella in the shoulder who laughed, temporarily held her face in pain though she couldn't stop smiling and giggling all the same, and threw a snowball at him, hitting his leg.

Laughter, snow, a warming sun, for the moment, everyone forgot the worries and rested on having fun. Phineas had to take a break, sitting down nearby to catch his breath as the others continued to play. Ferb soon joined him, waving off a snowball that last hit him as he sat down. They panted some, their faces red with the exertion before they stopped to smile at each other.

"I'm sorry.", Ferb finally admitted, having the chance to say it while Phineas was more pleasant. "For getting mad."

"I'm sorry for being all hurt and over protective.", Phineas said.

"You're my brother, you're trying to look out for me.", Ferb shrugged. "I shouldn't have gotten so mad."

"We're both in the wrong, Ferb.", Phineas simply decided.

"Well... If that's the case..", Ferb began before dumping a large amount of snow on his brother's head.

"AAH! Ha ha ha! HEY!", Phineas laughed as Ferb took off running. "Fletcher! You're SOO busted!"

Ferb ran, sticking out his tongue teasingly as he looked back at his brother who chased him. It wasn't long before he felt the icy cold sting as Phineas hit him in the back of his head with snow.

They wound up in the fray and confusion of things once again with laughter. Doofenshmirtz managed to hit Candace in the chest with a snowball before being pelted to his knees by Isabella, Buford, and Phineas.

"Aah! Okay! Okay! Okay! I'm sorry!", he begged with a few laughs.

Before Phineas knew it, he was being chased. As fits of laughter, mixed with the cold crisp air, began to hurt his lungs, a stitch forming in his side from the running, Phineas stumbled through the snow. Landing on his back and quickly made an easy target as the others pelted him with snowballs. Shouts about teasing him for being such a downer, Phineas couldn't really tell amongst the slight confusion as he covered his face and scooted back from them, laughing too much to respond.

He was nearing the edge of a hill and as Doof called out for him to be careful, it was a second too late as Phineas fell backwards, somersaulting his way down the slope as snow stuck to him and catching into his mouth and nose. He landed on his back with the others soon coming to his aide and sat back up, coughing and choking out the snow from his lungs.

"HISS!"

Phineas jumped back as something furry and white snapped out at him. Upon examination, he found it to be a small animal, roughly Perry's size, with its leg caught in a metal trap. It struggled, growled, and then rested its head on the snow, whimpering. The creature was long and sleek, and had pure white fur with black around its ears and tail. To Phineas, it looked something like a weasel.

"Phineas! are you al- WHAT on EARTH is that thing?!", Doof exclaimed, backing up as the creature jumped to its feet.

The others soon joined as Doof and Phineas backed up to a safe distance. Once Baljeet's eyes laid on the weasel, they nearly jumped from their sockets.

"Oh my gosh!", Baljeet shouted as he saw the creature. "That is an EXTREMELY large ermine!"

"An ermine?", Isabella asked.

"An ermine is a member of the skunk family.", Baljeet explained. "They are almost like a cross-breed of weasels and skunks. While they are carnivores, their teeth are strong enough to bite through a rabbit's skull and they have a powerful spray, similar to that of a skunk's! On top of that, they normally grow out to be only about a foot long, while THIS one is TWICE that size!"

"Really? Are you sure?", Candace asked.

While the others discussed the issue, Phineas paid next to no attention. He looked down at the ermine, watching as it stared back, whimpering, pleading for mercy. The only part that Phineas caught of the conversation was "hunted for fur" and that was that.

"In fact- Phineas, what are you DOING?!", Baljeet asked as he saw Phineas crouch down to the ermine.

"Phineas, didn't you hear him say _'BREAK SKULL'_?!", Candace scolded.

"But Candace...", Phineas said, his large blue eyes still focused on the small yellow below him. "Look at it. It's hurt..."

"ALL the more of a perfect opportunity to LEAVE. _NOW._", Doof ordered.

"But we can't LEAVE him here!", Phineas said, looking back now. "He's hurt! He could die! It's illegal to hurt these things, isn't it?"

"And it's also illegal to poach platypi, BUT I HIRED SOMEONE TO DO THAT ONCE!", Doof argued.  
Phineas' face fell into a stone-cold glare and the doctor quickly tried to recover himself.

"WHO...was... h-hunting another platypus, ENTIRELY separate from Perry the Platypus!", he said in defense. "Steven!"

Phineas, however, simply raised an eyebrow. Doof swallowed hard and took a step back.

"Alright that...wasn't a smart move."

"No. No it wasn't.", Phineas replied before turning back to what he was doing.

"Phineas, please don't!", Isabella begged. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Calm down, you guys. Animals can tell when you're trying to help them.", Phineas reassured.

He reached out a hand to the ermine and at first, it flinched back, growling. But Phineas quickly began to shush him, slowly lowering his hand. Once on the fur and stroking down its back gently, the ermine relaxed and allowed himself to be petted. Phineas smiled a bit, inching himself nearer the trap.

"See, guys? It's cool.", he said. "Isn't it, buddy?"

The ermine rolled over onto its back, revealing its stomach and Phineas giggled a bit.

"Aw, it trusts me!", Phineas said.

"Yeah. Cute. PLEASE just hurry up, set it free, and get AWAY from it.", Heinz asked, the worry in his voice rising.

"Alright. Alright.", he said, moving onto the trap. "Don't worry, little guy. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Fortunately, the trap didn't do any physical damage. It only kept his foot well secured and left the ermine immobile. Once freed, the ermine jumped back, looked over its leg, and then looked back at Phineas, as if smiling. Phineas smiled back, happy for a good deed, when he noticed something.

"It's got your scarf!", Buford laughed.

As Phineas reached to get his scarf back, the ermine dodged him, jumping away and looking back. He obviously was looking for a little play.

"Hey! Gimme that back! Isabella made it for me!", Phineas griped, running off to get it.

"Phineas, PLEASE! Be careful!", Candace begged.

The chase had commenced, with worn out legs and a hungry stomach, Phineas chased the animal across the opening between mountains, his friends and family following right behind him. He finally tripped from the snow and picked himself back up, seeing the animal wait for him a small ways off. Panting, Phineas shook his head and sat on his knees.

"Ah, forget it...", he said to himself. "It's just a scarf."

Much to Phineas' surprise, and a lesser extent of everyone else's, the strange ermine came bounding up to the boy through the snow and sat on his lap. With wide eyes, Phineas watched as the weasel sat the scarf back down on his lap. Slowly, curiously, Phineas picked up the scarf as the small mammal jumped back down into the snow, and wrapped it back around his neck. His eyes, never leaving the ermine.

"He's acting so weird...", Candace noted as the others caught up. "Like he's not just a mindless animal."

"I'd NEVER doubt the mental capability of animals...", Doof began to say. "...but there IS something odd about this one..."

The animal kept its face to the ground before looking back up at Phineas, revealing the knife it held in his mouth by the handle with a wide smile. Phineas gasped and the weasel ran off once again, dead set determined to have Phineas chase him.

"COME BACK WITH THAT!", Phineas called out, running after the ermine. "He's got my knife!"

The mere knowledge of it belonging to a dearly beloved family member, only encouraged the speed of Phineas, Ferb, Candace and Doofenshmirtz as the entire group chased after the ermine. They tried to corner it, but the mindless creature was still fast on his feet. He easily evaded their attempts until he was chased to a point where Doof managed to stand right in front of him, ready to grab the little mammal. The ermine leapt and used the man's chest to bounce off of and start running in another direction as Heinz failed in clasping his arms around it in time.

Doof watched the thing run off, slightly stupified. Was it his imagination, what from knowing Perry for so long, or did the ermine just flip off of him? Seeing the ermine pause at the top of a ridge, staring back at the humans below before jumping back and forth tauntingly, made Doof shake his head to clear it of these thoughts and go back to the task at hand. He hasn't had coffee all day, he's tired, and dealing with rambunctious animals and children. Who was he to question if an animal was really a secret agent?

They chased the ermine until they came to a small area with what looked like a few metallic airplane hangers, minus the runways. The group stopped to look as the ermine ran down into the opening of it, pausing to look back.

"...Is he leading us here?", Isabella asked aloud earning a few indecisive comments in return.

"Either way, I need to get that knife back.", Phineas said as he took off once again.

They all struggled to catch the ermine, failing each time until it stopped at the front door of the closest hanger. The kids stopped and the door opened to reveal Major Marshall.

The man seemed surprised, seeing this group of people in front of him. The ermine quickly crawled up his leg and back and rested on his shoulders.

"Oh! There you are, Ethan.", Marshall began with a small smile at the creature. "Were you playing with these people? I'm terribly sorry. He got out and we were looking all over for him."

"Uh... No that's okay. But.. Can I have my knife back?", Phineas asked. "It was my great grandfather's and I'd really hate to lose it."

Ethan dropped the knife into Marshall's hand and the man looked over it casually.

"Were you planning on using it to hurt anyone?", he asked.

"No, Sir. Just carry it around for good luck.", Phineas shook his head. "Honest."

Marshall smiled at the kid and handed it over.

"I'd suggest you keep it in your sheath next time then, eh? Wouldn't want to give the mounties any trouble now would we?"

Phineas gave a nod and put it back. He then perked up happily as a thought came to mind.

"Oh! You wouldn't have happened to see a platypus come by, have you?"

"A platypus?"

"Yeah! He's blue with brown eyes, his name is Perry, and-"

"Ethan.", Marshall interrupted as his eyes narrowed.

With a shout from the others, Ethan leapt at the kids, landing straight on Phineas' chest and taking the boy down with ease. Amongst the confusion, suddenly Baljeet's scream made everyone stop. Frozen in fear, as Ethan's sharp teeth, grazed along Phineas' bare neck.

"Phineas!", Isabella gasped.

She tried to move to him, but she was instantly held back by Doofenshmirtz and Ferb.

"No no no no no no no no!", Doof warned, terror on his face. "No. Don't...move."

"Or else the boy dies.", Marshall warned, his warming tone had disappeared. "I'm not afraid to do so, either. Everyone line up and get inside. On the double now, eh?"

Everyone did as told, Ethan let go of his prisoner and allowed him to join the others. The ermine kept to the back as a threat, and everyone moved inside. But a nagging question was still tugging at Phineas as he walked along side of Isabella. If this was the organization Bacon, guessed by how Ethan managed to show his anthropomorphism, where's Perry?

Perry was actually a bit further down the road from where Phineas, Ferb, and everyone camped last night. But their own issues were arising as Pinky continued to shiver and chatter Morse code with his teeth. Despite Penny and Perry's efforts to warm him up. Pinky continued to stumble through the snow, feeling very cold and very tired. Perry had to attempt several times to keep Pinky awake.

_"'I'm not wanting to sleep, I just wanna rest...'"_, Pinky whimpered tiredly.

_"'Rest and you'll fall asleep. Fall asleep, and you won't wake back up. We can't keep stopping now, Pinky.'"_, Perry was saying, pulling along on his friend's paw. _"'We gotta keep going. Look, the sun's out today. Maybe some of that will help warm you up. Like Agent C and J.'"_

_"'Cheri and Jasmine? What do those...'"_, Pinky mumbled, nearly tripping into the snow before he caught himself and teetered near to falling backwards instead. _"'..frilly...fer..feline...know?'"_

_"'Come on, Amigo. Let's-'"_

_"'Hey guys!'"_, Penny exclaimed as she pushed some of the snow away with her bill. _"'I found something!'"_

They came over to find a pink ribbon. Upon seeing it, with wide eyes, Pinky quickly snatched the ribbon and sniffed over it very carefully. The result of its owner proved to be devastating to the canine. Tears began to stream down Pinky's face as Perry stepped a bit closer.

_"'...Pinky?'",_ Perry asked.

_"'...It's Isabella's.'"_, the dog whimpered.

_"'Oh dear...'"_, Penny said before placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. _"'W-well maybe it'll be alright. She.. She could've just lost it.'"_

_"'OH LIKE YOU HAVE A PLACE TO SPEAK!'"_, Pinky snapped back, standing up and shoving her hand off him. _"'It's your fault in the first place!'"_

Penny stumbled back in surprise while Perry took a hold of the dog by his other shoulder.

_"'Pinky! Calm down! She didn't know what would happen!'"_

_"'It's her fault for snooping around though!'"_, Pinky growled.

_"'I WAS FOLLOWING ORDERS!'"_, Penny said in defense. _"'I had NO clue I would find your owners in a bed of hay in the caboose of a private federal train!'"_

_"'Well it doesn't matter anyway cause-! Because-!'"_, Pinky couldn't go on as he broke down into sobs, the very thought of Isabella's death plaguing him.

Needless to say, Perry and Penny were quite surprised at the emotional wreck Pinky quickly fell into. His long howls for his family, soon drowned by even more tears.

_"'...HYPOCRITE!'"_, Perry scolded in mock-anger. _"'And here you've been telling ME to move on!'"_

_"'Oh for Pete's sake, Perry I'm a dog! My greatest weakness is my loyalty!'"_, Pinky said as he wiped away his tears. _"'That's why I've been trying so hard NOT to start crying for Isabella! I miss her too! I miss her even more than you miss Phineas and Ferb! If I really didn't care, I'd probably already have told Ethan EXACTLY where you were heading!'"_

_"'Amigo, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be rubbing it in your face like that. I'm sorry you've been bottling yourself up for so long. But I do doubt Isabella is dead.'"_, Perry said.

_"'What makes you so sure? She could be buried under the snow for all we know!'"_, Pinky whimpered.

_"'Well look at it like this.'"_, Penny was saying as they began to walk on. _"'If we found her bow HERE and they were dropped off a much further distance away than here, that means that they're obviously surviving.'"_

_"'...I suppose...'"_, Pinky said.

_"'And they must be close by-EEE!'"_, Perry exclaimed as he tripped over something and tumbled into the snow.

Penny shrieked as she saw Perry's trip brush away the snow to uncover a large brown shoe. Perry turned over and looked back at the shoe and was equally frightened for a moment till he noticed something.

_"'Wait a minute..'"_, he said, getting back up and measuring his height to it. _"'I know that shoe!'"_

_"'Wait, seriously? You recognize a shoe?'"_, Pinky asked.

_"'Oh my gosh! You mean that's-!'"_, Penny gaped as she and Perry began to brush the snow aside.

Soon revealing a leg, waist, hand, until Perry jumped up on the mound of snow and pushed a part of it away with his tail revealing Norm's face.

_"'NORM?!'"_, Penny and Perry shouted as they uncovered his frozen body.

They wiped away all the snow from his control panel and found the wheel was emptied. Determining something bad had happened to the squirrel once residing within, Pinky quickly climbed up into it.

_"'Amigo?'"_, Perry questioned as Pinky got up into the wheel and began to run.

_"'If it means I don't have to walk through the wind and snow, so be it!'"_, Pinky said as he started to charge up Norm. _"'ANYTHING for some heat!'"_

Before long, Norm began to whirr to life once again.

"..th-thanks, Dad!", he said, his voice started slow and low before picking up into his normal tone.

Norm shook his head a bit, finding out what had happened and soon spotting Perry and Penny on his legs.

"Perry the Platypus?!", he said, the shocked tone surprising Perry.

"Norm, what happened?", Perry asked as he closed the door for Pinky's sake. "To you AND your voice?"

"Perry the Platypus, you can talk?"

"Fluently. I'm genetically engineered to be capable of doing so. Now, what's going on?", Perry asked again.

So Norm told him. Told him everything. How Doof asked him to find Linda, Candace, and Phineas. How Candace and Phineas were Heinz's long lost children. Finding Candace and being asked to track Phineas down. The traveling. Finding Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet at the gas station. Their explanation. Finding him. Lyla and her niece. All the way up to his eventual demise and the extent of his knowledge as to what the others were supposed to be doing.

_"'Holy cow! If we don't catch up to them, they'll fall RIGHT into Bacon's lap!'"_, Penny said in fear.

_"'It's still your fault!'"_, Pinky called out from inside of Norm.

"Pinky, this isn't the time to call faults you HYPOCRITE.", Perry scolded. "Norm, we gotta get there NOW!"

"Wait. How do you guys know if Bacon is really that bad?", Norm asked. "I know Agent Lyla wasn't too fond of it but-"

"Norm, you gotta believe me. Bacon is BAD! It's the only bacon in the world that is! The head agent, Ethan the Ermine, he was literally trying to KILL ME. I can't even imagine what would happen if Isabella, Ferb, Phineas, and Doofenshmirtz-", Perry paused for a moment as he remembered their relation and shuddered. "Ew.. As I was saying. I can't imagine what would happen if they were caught trying to find me and knowing so much as to what we did! I'm surprised Lyla said as much as she did! Owca joined them and things had REALLY gotten out of control with those chemical induced freaks! Yeah, darn right I said it, Penny!"

Penny was slightly surprised all the same, but time wasn't to be wasted as Norm picked himself and the platypuses out of the snow and began to make tracks. Worry and love for their families, strong on their hearts.


	18. Chapter 18

Upon being brought into the B.A.C.O.N. headquarters, Major Monogram was soon along side of Doofenshmirtz, allowing Ethan the privilege to walk along side of Marshall at the front of the group. Doof took note and once he was sure Ethan was out of ear-shot, he leaned over to whisper to Francis.

"Monogram, what's going on here? I thought Bacon was good!", he asked.

Monogram was silent, clearly displeased about the situation as he shook his head.

"I'm not entirely sure what's gonna happen to you guys but..", he started quietly before heaving a controlled, silent sigh. "We've gotten in over our heads here, joining up with them."

"That's what you guys did?"

"Yes. Where's Agent P?"

"I thought he was here with you.", Doof said, the surprise, clear on his face.

Monogram bit his lower lip as his worry rose. Ever since Perry's disappearance from the organization, both Marshall and Ethan have been on edge with everyone. Even the fellow B.A.C.O.N. agents took note of their temper and were quivering under such.

"No one knows where he is.", Monogram finally replied. "And it's been heck to pay for around here."

"Around here? For all of us.", Heinz scoffed.

"So why are you here, helping to find Perry? What's in it for you?", the major asked.

"...Oh you know...", Doof began, almost casually. "...spending time with my kids."

It was easy to understand Monogram's confusion at this and Heinz sighed some.

"Candace and Phineas. I haven't told Phineas, but it's true.", he went on to explain. "But aside from getting to spend time with them, I couldn't suddenly break up a family. If Perry the Platypus was related to them or not. It's just worse that it's the family I swore to never speak of."

"Oh wow..", Francis breathed.

"What are you two whispering about back there?!", Ethan snapped, turning his head towards them.

They instantly straightened like a couple of teenagers and quickly replied, "Nothing, Sir!"

"Stand by, Ethan.", Marshall ordered.

The ermine glared at them for a second longer and then turned his head away.

"...He talks?", Doof asked.

"And threatens.", Monogram replied. "...viciously."

Much to the others' surprise, Lyla soon joined their side, carrying folders and paper as she scanned through them briefly. She noticed the others and visibly cringed, quickly turning her head away.

"...Lyla, I thought you said you hated the B.A.C.O.N.", Doof said quietly.

Lyla glanced up from her work to where Ethan was and quietly muttered, "I do."

She headed off in another direction when a corner came up and the kids looked at each other worriedly. If _Lyla_ was here, after her clear disdain towards the organization, what was really going on? Phineas felt Isabella's hand grasp his and he looked over at her to find her just as worried as he was.

Phineas tried to be reassuring, squeezing her hand back and whispering, "It'll be okay..."

"...I hope so.", she replied, looking back at him.

The group were marched through the halls, when Marshall muttered something to Ethan in French and the ermine headed off in another direction. Major Marshall led them from there on out into a large, mostly empty room. The walls were a dull orange with red lining the bottom as crates and boxes were scattered about. A large machine stood in the middle of the room.

"Everyone line up in front of the amnesia-inator.", Marshall ordered.

"Amnesia-inator?!", Doof gasped.

Phineas stumbled a bit but did as told, legs shaking madly underneath him. They were lined up in front of it as Marshall took a step closer to explain.

"To settle your curiosity, yes. We're going to wipe your memories of everything that's connected to Perry the Platypus."

"You can't do that!", Candace exclaimed, though it came out more as a plead.

"Yes, yes we can.", Marshall replied. "Very simply. This machine will take a few moments to warm up once we get it started and we'll allow you, then, the opportunity to say your last sentiments."

Ethan then came into the room, with Carl and Michelle coming up behind him to work on the machine, and gave a wide smile at his captives.

"I smell fear..", he said slyly.

"How can you smell FEAR?", Baljeet asked, being the one who was the most fearful.

"Genetically heightened sense of smell.", Ethan said with slight pride.

He was walking to his superior, when he paused and noted something to himself.

"Ah, so it was perfume.", he said to himself in slight humor. "Interesting."

"May I ask a question?", Monogram began, addressing Marshall.

"If you must.", the major rolled his eyes.

"Why are we wiping their memory THAT far? I-Isn't just the past week good enough? They'll have gaping holes in their memory, left for them to ponder on for the rest of their lives."

"Children have a short attention span and do not bother long with memories until their adult lives, where in the case of Mr. Doofenshmirtz here, they'll already be nearing senior ages, that the specific memories would be slurred together. No real harm will be done if they forget everything about Agent P."

"Wait, wait, wait!", Doof was saying as Michelle began to push buttons.

"What is it now?", Marshall groaned.

"Before you wipe your memories, can I PLEASE ask for ONE last request?", he asked. When granted a nod he held his head as the migraine continued to throb. "Can I PLEASE, please, for simple mercy, have a first cup of coffee? It's ALL I'm asking of you. I haven't had a cup today.."

Marshall eyed him for a moment then turned to Michelle.

_"What are the statistics of us denying his coffee and wiping their memories anyway?"_, he asked in French.

_"Devastating."_, Michelle replied. _"The chance of yet another migraine or head injury to take place by any means could trigger a something of a memory inside him and completely undo the affects of the amnesia-inator."_

_"And the chances of any sort of headache are very high."_, Carl threw in. _"Upon remembering while being in his own home, his broad access of a number of materials and inventions, it would be the downfall of the entire organization."_

"...Well then. We'll be allowing such a request.", Marshall agreed.

As the others began to head out the door, Ethan stood at it, keeping an eye on the prisoners in case they decided to try to escape. For the moment, there was just silence.

"...Candace, please try to keep your fear to a minimum. Your sweat's really foul to smell.", Ethan said, itching his nose for a moment.

"W-Well what am I supposed to do?!", she sputtered. "We're in a secret organization, about to have our memories wiped, and being threatened by an over grown rat! What am I supposed to feel?!"

With Marshall out of the room, nothing could prevent Ethan from lunging at Candace, fury quickly ignited in him for more reasons than just being called a rat. Phineas was quick to react as he threw himself in between Candace and Ethan. The collision caused the two to tumble across the floor until everything stopped as Phineas held his knife against Ethan's throat, holding the ermine close to him and preventing his escape.

"Phineas!", Candace, Isabella, and Doof breathed in surprise and slight fear that he would threaten the animal.

Phineas held tight though and after a moment of noticing the situation, Ethan began to smile. Chills were sent down Phineas' spine as he heard the creature laugh underneath him. Cold and almost evil, as it rang about the room.

"Ohhhhh this is just RICH.", Ethan said as he shook his head. "Ha! Phineas Flynn I must say, this is absolutely adorable of you. Threatening to end my life if I try to move, by slitting my throat. That's just cute."

Another chill ran down him as he listened. Granted, he wasn't really planning on doing so, as Ethan very well knew, but if anything, he wanted to keep his friends and family safe.

"I'm sure your great grandfather would be proud.", Ethan said, edging on Phineas' fear of death. "Killing the bad guy and all. And I'm sure Perry would be remarkably proud when he sees that you've killed me."

The boy's guts quickly knotted up. What was he doing? What if Perry suddenly came in right now and caught him harming his co-worker?

"Go ahead...kill me. Just like your brother did with a couple of our other agents. Those timber wolves?", Phineas shivered and shook from head to toe as the revelation of killing and eating agents sunk into his mind. What made matters worse was that it was with his own knife too. "Kill me, Phineas. Watch my bright, red, delicious blood spill from my throat. Pouring on your hands, my clean white fur, and that pretty little knife of yours."

"Will you STOP trying to scare him?!", Doof shouted from where he stood. "That's just low! Even for an evil guy like myself!"

"Doofus, please. I've met evil. You're nothing even close to it.", Ethan sneered. "So why don't you just shut up before you say something else that's stupid."

"HEY! No one talks to him like that!", Candace said defensively.

"I'm so scared.", Ethan said sarcastically. "What's going to happen? Is PHINEAS going to avenge the idiot's ego and kill me? Is that what's going to happen? Welp! Don't let her down NOW, Phinny."

Phineas was worried and it was obvious to Ethan. He wished now more than ever that Perry would be here. That something would happen to make it all feel better. Ethan felt the knife slowly move away from his throat and that was just enough for him to shove Phineas' arms off and grab the boy by the wrist. He flipped Phineas around so he was pinned with the knife all in one fell swoop, but before Ethan can do anything Marshall came back in with a cup for everyone.

"Ethan.", Marshall called out as he understood the situation, causing the agent look back. "Off."

Ethan obediently pushed Phineas back to the others and the boy scrambled to his feet the moment he had the chance. He took a glance at the knife and then threw it back at the boy's feet, landing it square between them with the blade facing Phineas. Phineas gingerly picked it back up as Carl and Michelle gave a share of the load to Ethan. The interns and agents came up to serve the prisoners one last moment.

"There's cream and sugar if you need it.", Ethan said politely to Doofenshmirtz.

"Thanks, I guess.", he said, taking the powder.

"Wuss.", the ermine sneered, making the man scowl down at him.

"Hey! If you weren't so threatening-!"

"I would have to use cream and sugar.", Ethan interrupted, still maintaining a calm tone which only made Doof all the more angry.

As they drank their coffee, Michelle fired up the inator, being careful to set the right programing. But then, as Phineas paused, looking down at the last of his coffee, an odd question came into mind.

"...I wonder how much of this was actually planned...", Phineas muttered more to himself than anyone. "Ethan waiting for us and everything."

"All of it was planned.", Marshall simply answered, earning a surprised look.

"All of it?", Phineas asked.

"Everything.", Marshall confirmed. "Right down to who would win our branded-soda's sweepstakes and take over the entire Tri-State Area."

As Candace did a spit-take, Heinz dropped his coffee and his jaw as his eyes grew wide. Ethan gave a small chuckle.

"Didn't even have to push a button did you?", the ermine asked slyly. "Of course with a one-way mirror and the winning bottle in hand, I can already testify to this."

"Wh-?", Phineas shook his head, trying to piece it together. "Wait.. So..."

"Mr. Doofenshmirtz- I prefer mister because he's not a real doctor Phineas- is the only pawn that would be so clumsy enough to actually think he could take over a whole Tri-State Area namely by doing nothing.", Marshall went on to explain, pacing back and forth in front of the inator. "The rest of you, however, were not needed so we have been trying to get rid of you from square one. We know you, Phineas and Ferb. We know how supposedly ingenious you two are. You'd figure out that Perry was faking his death, which is why we specifically left an insufficient amount of hay on the train so someone would find your little group hiding in the cargo where more was. How much an idiot do you think we are for storing gasoline and hay in a poorly electrical-wired train car? We were trying to kill you when the cars were disconnected from Monogram by causing the whole place to explode! But you BRATS had to just escape it. With that being the case we had to purposefully set up the snow mobile and Lyla to make SURE you all would congregate at the gas station. That way, when she gave you directions to where we were, you would ALL die on the icy roads in a terrible car crash. You managed to narrowly escape that one thanks to that pathetic pile of bolts you call 'Norm'. So what else we were supposed to do but send out agents that were meant to hunt you seven down and KILL YOU. The agents that you so _inhumanely_ decided to _EAT_ FOR DINNER."

Everyone cringed, their guts swimming as they remembered. Even Monogram and Carl looked uneasy.

"Doofen-?", Monogram began, earning a sheepish grin from the fake doctor.

"Well..."

"Honestly, a nuclear war would go on and you seven would still find a stupid way to narrowly avoid it all.", Marshall huffed. "Like roaches, all of you! We could stab, bite, poison, and kill you in any manner possible and you'd STILL survive one way or another. But because most of the w-squadron that we sent after you ended up DEAD because they were NATURAL animals with the courtesy of the stupidity of Owca, we already had Ethan sat up, waiting for you. It's why he wasn't bleeding when you found him. He brought you here, MAKING SURE you followed, so we would finally be able to get rid of you once and for ALL!"

"Why?", Phineas asked. "Why are you going to erase our memories?!"

"Because we're killing two birds with one stone. While you will have no recollection of Perry the Platypus, you're also drawing in as a perfect bait to said platypus since obviously he isn't here at the moment. Once you're out of the way, there would be nothing left to stop me from achieving Bacon's ultimate goal."

"And that is...?", Candace asked. "Not all of us are criminal master minds."

Heinz had to stop himself from snickering as he remembered Candace's dream the previous night.

"World domination, what else?", Marshall asked so casually.

"WH-!?", Heinz nearly choked. "World domin-! I knew you were crazy, but now you're INSANE!"

"But WHY do you need Perry for that? Isn't Ethan enough?", Phineas asked. "Besides, I've raised Perry better than that. He wouldn't help you take over the world!"

"Because despite how we pride on ourselves with our genetically enhanced animals, such as Ethan here, Perry's better by far. He's faster, stronger, smarter, has more will power. A greater motivation driving him. A perfect soldier. THE PERFECT AGENT.", Marshall explained as Michelle hung her head in slight shame. "We needed him. We needed him to perfect our own agents. The aquatic abilities and venom as only a plus to him. But of course, for something as perfect as Perry, we couldn't afford to take any risks. We researched everything to a detail. EVERYTHING. Even down to what females we could produce to keep the genetics even. We can't even afford for Penny to affect the result."

Here Michelle, Monogram, and Karl all grew red in the face while the others were trying to still process it better.

"Wait... You mean you kidnapped Perry so he could...?", Phineas began, slightly uneasy on the subject.

"You want him to mate with other platypuses?", Buford asked bluntly.

_"EWWWWWWW!"_, everyone else groaned in disgust.

"Wouldn't cloning just be better?", Buford went on, completely unaffected.

"Technically, yes. But it's also time consuming and will lead to faulty clones.", Ethan said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Platypuses reproduce within the span of one month. One month, twelve out of the year, three platypuses per litter, that would be 36 platypuses in one year as opposed to a clone which would result in only half of ONE in the same time. And that's only if there was ONE mother involved."

"Okay, first off, EW! That's SO wrong!", Doof began.

"Well you didn't seem to mind it when you bought Penny.", Marshall retorted.

"Well I wasn't scheming the same thing! I just needed a distraction!", Doof said, turning red in the face himself. "And secondly, do you REALLY think Perry the Platypus is just gonna...you know...do THAT...with just any platypus?"

"Yup.", the simple reply from the ermine was.

"You're idiots!", Doof snapped. "Perry the Platypus isn't THAT horny!"

"When you're drugged well enough, anyone is. Isn't that right Mr. Doofenshmirtz?", Ethan asked with a smirk.

A shiver ran up Heinz, causing his hair to stand on end as he knew, EXACTLY, what Ethan was saying. HOW on EARTH he could've known about something THAT personal between Heinz and Linda was just scary. It really was. Ethan was deeply satisfied in seeing his terrified prisoner and his burning red face. Like it was all a game to him. Being on top, it's where he knew he belonged.

"But knowing that you troublesome brats would be poking around, we were also prepared. You found Lyla, you were traveling right on the course she sat up for you. Of course, until you ate the agents we sent to kill you.", Marshall scoffed, making the kids cringe in disgust. "But that's why I would rely on Ethan, not a bunch of naturally created canines that Owca scrapped together. And all the more reason to run tests and scans on Perry to better understand how his genetic make-up differs from my own agents."

Everyone stood silently. It was almost too much to take in. All of them. They were all just silly pawns, waiting to be killed off in a large game of chess. And what was worse, was that Perry had no idea what really awaited him on his return.

"...Now. While the machine warms up, we'll allow you to say your sentiments. Run away, and the weather has taken a turn in favor of...good hunting.", Marshall said with a small chuckle at the end.

He and the others left, leaving the rest to their good-byes.

"You have five minutes.", the leader last said. "Spend it wisely."

* * *

_Amber: I guess it wouldn't come as too much of a surprise to some of you guys that we twisted everyone to the point of practical-cannibalism, huh? ;)_

_Laura: I mean, geez. Think about it. How many deaths have we been through? XD Who was expecting for Phineas and the gang to eat human-like wolves? Or for the fact that the villains were introduced in the FIRST CHAPTER! O_o_

_Amber: Reviews are pretty important to us, so please leave one! ^_^ ...Or ELSE._

_Laura: X3_


	19. Chapter 19 (sad)

As would be the case, Doofenshmirtz was quickly pulled aside by Candace once everyone got over the initial shock of what was really going on. Phineas couldn't help but take note of this. It started to occur to him how often Candace and Heinz were constantly with each other. Talking quietly amongst themselves or arguing about something or another along their journey. It was kind of weird to comprehend.

"...Is it just me, or... Or does Dr. Doofenshmirtz seem..um...a bit OLD for Candace?", Phineas asked, hoping his vague probe at their relationship wouldn't cause an uproar with the others.

On the contrary, dismissive comments were made by the others to the imposing question.

"Well, I mean, Phineas. Honestly.", Isabella started to say as they closed their remarks. "Do you really think Candace would cheat on Jeremy?"

"And in THIS sort of situation, of all the times in the world?", Buford scoffed.

"...I guess... It just seems... Well I dunno. I guess it's just me, but it seems like they're awfully...CLOSE... Wouldn't you say?", he asked, glancing over at them.

"Trust me, Phineas..", Ferb began. "It's NOTHING like that."

"...Mmm.. I suppose so.", Phineas shrugged. "Maybe you're right. I should take your word for it."

The group seemed relieved, but Heinz wasn't near such a feeling.

"Lemme guess...", Candace began as they stepped out of ear-shot.

"Oh boy..", Heinz groaned to himself.

"You're FINALLY gonna tell him RIGHT before he loses his memory?", Candace asked.

"Well, Candace. Call me crazy but-"

"You're not gonna?!", she pressed, despair found in the comment.

"I'm sorry but I can't-! I just have this-! Augh! I don't know what it is! A sixth sense, a radar, I have NO clue but SOMETHING is telling me that Perry the Platypus is going to come in through that window and make this all end good.", Heinz said earning a groan.

"Oh my gosh, NOW you think PERRY'S gonna come save you?! Where's he been this whole time!? And even if he DOES come through that window, you're really not gonna bother telling your SON, your one and ONLY SON, that you exist?!"

"I will tell him, but I don't want to tell him if I'm going to spend the rest of my life knowing that he hates me, just because I've said it at a wrong time!"

"Dad, you've had PLENTY of time! MORE than enough time!", Candace argued. "You've had an AMPLE amount of time to finally tell him and NOW, RIGHT before everyone's memories about to be erased, you're just going to let it all dwindle away into a stupid, back-handed, emotion-hiding good-bye?!"

Doof cringed hearing what she had to say. But she wasn't understanding, and he couldn't make her get it. He has had a lifetime of saying things at the wrong moment. Jokes, truths, lies, come backs, everything. It was all so horribly timed with him, it's part of the reason WHY he rambles. To spill out all his thoughts and explain the reasons and motivations for saying what he DOES say. But of the most important things to say, here Candace was, badgering him to say it NOW and QUICKLY and risk hurting Phineas. Risk ruining everything. Risk destroying the single wish that had actually come true for him. Phineas had a happy life. Phineas was a happy child. He was an eternal optimist. Why should he JUST NOW destroy that if there wasn't going to be a way to get out of the trouble later? Yes, it was very schnitzel-like of him to do so, but he couldn't live with another rejection. Not from his son. But to make matters worse, his daughter was starting to reject him.

"...You'll never get it, will you?", she said as he stood there, head hung in dismal and guilty silence. "...You'll never understand...just how important you really are... To me...AND to Phineas."

Doof looked back at his daughter, but she kept her own gaze at the floor. Tears began to over flow from her eyes and Heinz reached up to wipe them away, only to have his hand pushed back by Candace's. She turned and started heading back to Phineas.

"Fine... Never tell him... I don't care..", she said as she walked away.

"Candace!", Heinz said, only to know that she wasn't going to listen.

He groaned and followed her back. His mind abuzz with what to do.

As the others said their own bits about how they'll miss the memories, Phineas kept quiet. Isabella took note, but as soon as she glanced at him and understood he was staring at her scratch, she turned away again. But Phineas reached over and gently kissed her temple, making sure not to hurt her. She smiled a bit, hurting herself anyway for doing so, and looked back. But Phineas wasn't smiling still. Instead, it seemed more sorrowful than anything.

"...I'm gonna hate waking up tomorrow and seeing you scratched like that...", he started to say. "...and have this guilty feeling that it was my fault..."

Isabella knew why he said this, with the way he felt back in the cave, and gently took his hand in hers and placed it on her hurting cheek. Phineas looked up to be met by her soft smile, but still felt bad.

"Maybe.. It'll help us remember..", she said. "Something to help spark the memory after we lose it."

Phineas smiled a bit, though still seemed kinda sad.

"...I'm gonna miss knowing that I told you that I loved you..", he said. "And knowing you felt the same."

Isabella chuckled and agreed, "I'm gonna miss that too.. I'm gonna miss knowing that you loved me back. It's going to kill me to wake up tomorrow, and think it's just another day that I'll try to blindly attempt to gain your attention and not know that you already love me back..."

Phineas opened his mouth to say something, but then he noticed Candace coming back, tears still pouring down her face. It was understandable that he wanted to comfort his sister, and Isabella let him take his hand back and backed up as he stood up to come over.

"Candace, what's wrong?", he asked in concern.

Candace took a glance back at Doofenshmirtz before strongly replying as she wiped away the tears, "Nothing... There never was anything wrong with me."

That was the final straw. It was the last stab Heinz could take and he finally braved himself to tell Phineas the truth.

"Phineas. There's something I-", he began before getting cut off as Ethan and the others came back in.

Phineas looked back at the fake doctor as they lined up.

"What were you saying?", he asked.

"Phineas.. There's something I have to tell you.", he said as the machine began to whirr.

Perry and Penny, riding on Norm's shoulders, were already nearing the organization. Right to where Phineas and everyone else were.

"Phineas, it's... It's a little hard for me to explain...", Doof was saying, having a hard time forming the words.

The other's surprise began to grow, especially Candace's as Doofenshmirtz tried to find the right thing to say.

"But... You know how you think your father has died?"

"Yeah?"

"Well... It's... It's all a lie..", he said, earning a wide-eyed expression in response. "Cause I... I'M...you're dad..."

Phineas stood there with his jaw, slightly ajar, more surprised then ever before. He wasn't sure what to say, or do, or even act. He started to slowly shake his head in disbelief. Candace quickly caught the action and stooped by his side, a wide smile and tears held back in her eyes.

"No, Phineas. He really is.", she said. "Our dad is Heinz Doofenshmirtz. Mom lied to us.", she said.

Phineas looked back at his sister in surprise, and the noticed everyone else was also nodding. He soon found himself smiling back at Heinz. Before Heinz or Phineas knew it, they were locked in a tight embrace. Right as Perry crashed through the window.

***CRASH!***

In the split second timings, Phineas had the chance to have one last glance in surprise at his platypus before a bright light flashed in his eyes and he lost consciousness. As the inator fired, Monogram, Karl, Michelle, Marshall, and Ethan all noticed Perry coming into the room and Ethan and Marshall were instantly getting ready to capture him. Time seemed to slow to a halt as Perry crashed in through the window, seeing Phineas and Doofenshmirtz hugging and smiling. Like he didn't even matter to either of them. But the moment his feet touched the ground did time resume and he found himself caught in Ethan's grasp. But he didn't struggle or fight back. He just stood there, heartbroken as he stared at the unconscious bodies. As far as the platypus knew it, Phineas and Ferb were happy to have their memories wiped. He wasn't wanted. He didn't matter to them anymore. They didn't even say "wait".

Perry was taken away by Ethan, Marshall carrying the other two rogue agents with him, and Monogram and Carl took care of the bodies, getting ready to take them back home where they will resume life, as if it had never changed. And Phineas, Ferb, and Candace all forgot about their beloved pet platypus and the adventures they had ever shared with him.

**THE END**

* * *

_Review **PLEASE**! =3_


	20. Author's Note

**SAD ENDING!**

**THIS IS IS NOT A TRUE ENDING! GO BACK WITH A FRIEND AND GET THE CRYSTAL BALL TO GO TO THE SECRET ROAD!**

* * *

Suddenly everything freezes before Perry, Marshall, and Ethan head out the door. A couple of young girls, one with glasses and short brown hair, one with brown eyes and a long, braided ponytail, walk into the room. The girl with glasses seems troubled as she looks around.

"Eh, I don't know Amber.", Laura said with a shrug. "Just doesn't seem right.. You know?"

"Yeah, that's why I didn't want to do it this way in the first place!" Amber reminded her sister with a smile.

"You didn't? Oh. Oh well. I mean, it would've made a terrific sad ending. I wonder what it'd be like if we did a happier one though.", Laura said, looking around.

"Boy I'LL say!", Doof suddenly said, sitting up from the pile of "unconscious" bodies. "I just NOW tell Phineas I'm his dad? No, no resolve to this back story? No, 'oh dad! you're so smart and brave! How I wish I knew before!' None of that?"

"Well I wouldn't think I'd say it like that.", Phineas chuckled as he sat up.

"Yeah, it's just not in character.", Isabella snickered at the thought.

"Too right. But, you now, I don't really know if I WANNA write a happy ending.", Laura shrugged.

Everyone couldn't help but exclaim at the same time, "WHAT?!"

"I have the idea, don't get me wrong. Of course Amber and I couldn't help but think of a happier ending. It's how we roll. But you know, when you look at the reviews, there's not a lot being said except for JUST NOW. JUST as the drama starts to kick in. What about all the rest of the story?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, JUST as the drama kicks in? There's been drama throughout the whole thing!", Amber laughed in disbelief. "Not to mention, we've only just NOW been saying, 'please review'!"

"_I_ know that and _you all_ know that. But I was hoping people would still talk about it, even without being asked.", Laura shrugged.

"True.", Ferb agreed as he stood up. "What about me yelling at Phineas? There was hardly a mention, and I'm generally the quiet, calm one."

"I KNOW.", Laura nodded. "That kinda hurt."

"Or what about Lyla being here with us?", Ethan asked. "She blatantly said, 'I hate Bacon', which is a real shame for the actual meat, and yet she's RIGHT THERE. She KNEW she was being used and told everyone to go in the wrong direction. It's why she wanted to keep the kids with her! NO ONE'S gonna mention anything about it?"

"Or me?", Peter asked, hanging upside down from one of the beams near the ceiling with a camera in hand. "I mean come on! I risked my life for Perry. I'm finally resolving something that I should've done years ago because it's stupid and childish. And nothing. No one's gonna mention the bloodshed?"

Laura shivers with a small smile.

"Oh the blood."

"You're all being stupid and childish!" Amber retorted. "Take it easy guys, people are leaving nice reviews, and at least they're reviewing at all!"

"I'd still like to at least know that the fanfic I worked on at 3 am in the morning with my eyes crossing, was something people liked.", Laura pouted. "I mean, really. It wasn't an easy fanfiction to write."

"Aw, feeling a little low-spirited?", Heinz said sympathetically.

"A little."

"...We just became the favorite authors of 50 people and you don't think that people like 'Come Home Perry'?" Amber said, less sympathetically.

"Tell it!", Robert cheered from another corner of the room with a slice of pizza in hand.

"Quiet you!", Laura and Doof barked back at him.

"Quit being a baby! You're being such schnitzels!", Amber scoffed.

"I just wanted to know people actually liked the stuff I worked hard on! Miss ESFJ! Whatever happened to 'easily emotionally hurt'? Don't you like to hear that something that really touched home to you, was also liked by others? I mean, it's like cleaning the kitchen, from top to bottom, for Mom and Dad, and no one even notices!", Laura rolled her eyes.

"I'm Italian enough to suck up and deal with it!" Amber verbally slapped.

"I'm a mastermind! I thrive on appreciation for my careful calculated schedules and organizing abilities! I thrive on feedback be it good or bad!", Laura groaned. "I'm a friggin INTJ give me a break!"

"..This is such a stupid argument." Amber giggled. "We're totally wasting people's time."

"They wouldn't waste their own time if they were reviewing on how horrible of an excuse it is to give Doof a friggin cup of coffee but not do anything about Isabella's scratch, INSTEAD OF MAKING US HAVE TO WRITE THIS!", Laura laughed a bit. "For crying out loud! It's no wonder my personality is only 3% of the population!"

"Thank GOODNESS for that." Amber teased. "Let's just get on with the chapter, alright? People are probably scrolling past this part."

"Alright. Alright.", Laura sighed. "Everyone ready?"

"Yes.", the general agreement was.

"Alright people, let's take it from the top.", Laura rolled her eyes and walked off the set. "Robert, get me a cup, please?"

"Which mug?"

"Uhh... Java the Platypus.", Laura shrugged.

As Robert headed off, Amber smirked over at her sister.

"Want fries with that?"

"WHY would I want fries with it?", Laura asked with a smile.

"So...", Phineas began. "So, we're backing up to where we're allowed to say our last goodbyes...right?"

"Yup.", Laura nodded.

"And this is gonna be a happy ending?", Baljeet asked.

"I don't wanna hear a word from you, twerp.", Laura glared.

"Sorry."

"Why?", Amber asked.

"Cause he's annoying.", Laura shrugged.

"This is gonna be a happy ending?", Candace asked.

"Of course, Candace.", Laura said with a kind smile.

"This is what happens when you play too much Bubble Bobble." Amber joked with a smile.

Laura laughs a bit and replies, "Yes. Yes it is. All the years of my life playing it and I wanna play again."

"Multiple endings. Gotta love 'em.", Amber agreed.


	21. Chapter 19 (real)

_Laura: Alright, now let's explore the other dimension! (Not literally the second dimension. We're going back in time to see the same situation, but with different results.)_

_Amber: Don'tcha love multiple endings? =)_

* * *

As would be the case, Doofenshmirtz was quickly pulled aside by Candace once everyone got over the initial shock of what was really going on. Phineas couldn't help but take note of this. It started to occur to him how often Candace and Heinz were constantly with each other. Talking quietly amongst themselves or arguing about something or another along their journey. It was kind of weird to comprehend.

"...Is it just me, or... Or does Dr. Doofenshmirtz seem..um...a bit OLD for Candace?", Phineas asked, hoping his vague probe at their relationship wouldn't cause an uproar with the others.

On the contrary, dismissive comments were made by the others to the imposing question.

"Well, I mean, Phineas. Honestly.", Isabella started to say as they closed their remarks. "Do you really think Candace would cheat on Jeremy?"

"And in THIS sort of situation, of all the times in the world?", Buford scoffed.

"...I guess... It just seems... Well I dunno. I guess it's just me, but it seems like they're awfully...CLOSE... Wouldn't you say?", he asked, glancing over at them.

"Trust me, Phineas..", Ferb began. "It's NOTHING like that."

"...Mmm.. I suppose so.", Phineas shrugged. "Maybe you're right. I should take your word for it."

The group seemed relieved, but Heinz wasn't near such a feeling.

"Lemme guess...", Candace began as they stepped out of ear-shot.

"Oh boy..", Heinz groaned to himself.

"You're FINALLY gonna tell him RIGHT before he loses his memory?", Candace asked.

"Well, Candace. Call me crazy but-"

"You're not gonna?!", she pressed, despair found in the comment.

"I'm sorry but I can't-! I just have this-! Augh! I don't know what it is! A sixth sense, a radar, I have NO clue but SOMETHING is telling me that Perry the Platypus is going to come in through that window and make this all end good.", Heinz said earning a groan.

"Oh my gosh, NOW you think PERRY'S gonna come save you?! Where's he been this whole time!? And even if he DOES come through that window, you're really not gonna bother telling your SON, your one and ONLY SON, that you exist?!"

"I will tell him, but I don't want to tell him if I'm going to spend the rest of my life knowing that he hates me, just because I've said it at a wrong time!"

"Dad, you've had PLENTY of time! MORE than enough time!", Candace argued. "You've had an AMPLE amount of time to finally tell him and NOW, RIGHT before everyone's memories about to be erased, you're just going to let it all dwindle away into a stupid, back-handed, emotion-hiding good-bye?!"

Doof cringed hearing what she had to say. But she wasn't understanding, and he couldn't make her get it. He has had a lifetime of saying things at the wrong moment. Jokes, truths, lies, come backs, everything. It was all so horribly timed with him, it's part of the reason WHY he rambles. To spill out all his thoughts and explain the reasons and motivations for saying what he DOES say. But of the most important things to say, here Candace was, badgering him to say it NOW and QUICKLY and risk hurting Phineas. Risk ruining everything. Risk destroying the single wish that had actually come true for him. Phineas had a happy life. Phineas was a happy child. He was an eternal optimist. Why should he JUST NOW destroy that if there wasn't going to be a way to get out of the trouble later? Yes, it was very schnitzel-like of him to do so, but he couldn't live with another rejection. Not from his son. But to make matters worse, his daughter was starting to reject him.

"...You'll never get it, will you?", she said as he stood there, head hung in dismal and guilty silence. "...You'll never understand...just how important you really are... To me...AND to Phineas."

Doof looked back at his daughter, but she kept her own gaze at the floor. Tears began to over flow from her eyes and Heinz reached up to wipe them away, only to have his hand pushed back by Candace's. She turned and started heading back to Phineas.

"Fine... Never tell him... I don't care..", she said as she walked away.

"Candace!", Heinz said, only to know that she wasn't going to listen.

He groaned and followed her back. His mind abuzz with what to do.

As the others said their own bits about how they'll miss the memories, Phineas kept quiet. Isabella took note, but as soon as she glanced at him and understood he was staring at her scratch, she turned away again. But Phineas reached over and gently kissed her temple, making sure not to hurt her. She smiled a bit, hurting herself anyway for doing so, and looked back. But Phineas wasn't smiling still. Instead, it seemed more sorrowful than anything.

"...I'm gonna hate waking up tomorrow and seeing you scratched like that...", he started to say. "...and have this guilty feeling that it was my fault..."

Isabella knew why he said this, with the way he felt back in the cave, and gently took his hand in hers and placed it on her hurting cheek. Phineas looked up to be met by her soft smile, but still felt bad.

"Maybe.. It'll help us remember..", she said. "Something to help spark the memory after we lose it."

Phineas smiled a bit, though still seemed kinda sad.

"...I'm gonna miss knowing that I told you that I love you..", he said. "And knowing you feel the same."

Isabella chuckled and agreed, "I'm gonna miss that too.. I'm gonna miss knowing that you love me back. It's going to kill me to wake up tomorrow, and think it's just another day that I'll try to blindly attempt to gain your attention and not know that you already love me back..."

Phineas opened his mouth to say something, but then he noticed Candace coming back, tears still pouring down her face. It was understandable that he wanted to comfort his sister, and Isabella let him take his hand back and backed up as he stood up to come over.

"Candace, what's wrong?", he asked in concern.

Candace took a glance back at Doofenshmirtz before strongly replying as she wiped away the tears, "Nothing... There never was anything wrong with me."

It hurt. It hurt a lot. Too much for him to bare with anymore.

"Alright, alright! I'll say it!", he said, surprising Candace a bit. "Phineas Flynn, there's something I need to tell you."

Just then, Ethan, Marshall, and the others came back in and got the inator ready.

"It'll take a moment to charge before it fires.", Michelle explained.

"What did you wanna say?", Phineas asked.

"I-! Um... I-I...", Doof faltered, dimming Candace's hopes as the reality of what he was doing sunk in. "W-well.."

"Hey, time's up. You should've been done with this sooner.", Ethan said.

"SHUT UP YOU STUPID RAT!", Candace hissed back.

"I'm warning you for the last time, Candace!", Ethan growled in return, his fur bristling at the demeaning name.

"What were you going to say?", Phineas asked, looking back at Heinz.

"I'm-"

***CRASH!***

Perry, Penny, and Pinky came crashing through the window, surprising everyone as they landed on the floor behind them.

"PERRY!"

Ethan and Marshall were already on it but Marshall was held back by Monogram, Pinky and Karl. The kids were quickly ushered out of the way as Ethan, Penny, and Perry circled each other, waiting for the other to strike.

"Perry!", Phineas called out, struggling with Ferb as Candace held them back by their wrists.

"Oh no you don't! Phineas, I don't need you and Ferb getting hurt too!", Candace argued.

"Welcome back, Perry the Platypus...", Ethan said. "Nice to see you join the family again."

"SHUT IT psycho.", Perry growled back.

_"HE CAN TALK!?"_, the others gaped.

Ethan was the first to move, lunging out at the platypuses and soon getting entangled in a struggle hold against them. Claws and teeth dug deep into the opposition as the animals fought. Perry and Ethan were soon struggling to gain control over the other when Penny tackled Ethan off and found herself soon pinned to the floor where Ethan attempted to bite at her, only to have her webbed claws sink into his throat as she tried to push his face away from hers. Perry grabbed a hold of Ethan and the ermine wriggled and squirmed his way out of his jacket and out of Perry's grasp. He quickly turned around, the moment his knees hit the floor, and attempted to bite at Perry's leg only to grab Penny's kicking leg by mistake. A deafening scream shot through the air as Ethan's strong teeth sank into Penny's legs, cracking and breaking the bones inside. She was left immobile from the sheer pain and forcibly tossed aside by the ermine.

_"'PENNY!'"_, Perry called out as she was sent flying across the floor.

The platypus scowled back at the ermine. Nothing but red was in his vision now. He couldn't stand for it any more! Before Ethan had time to think, Perry charged himself into the mammal, headbutting him right in the stomach and sending the two tumbling. Perry was pinned to the ground with Ethan's claws wrapped tightly around his throat. Blood dripping down his jaws, Ethan smirked at the struggling platypus beneath him.

"Just like before, eh?", he said, straining to keep a hold on him.

Perry wasn't giving up though and Ethan groaned in pain as he felt the platypus' sharp spurs dig deep into his sides. It was enough of a leeway for Perry to pull out one of his arms and punch the ermine hard in the face, causing Ethan to let go and stumble back as he held his snout in pain. He scowled back at the platypus, blood dripping from his broken nose as he growled. Perry quickly got up onto his feet and back into the fight as he threw more punches at the ermine, being blocked mostly, but landing a few in the stomach as Ethan tried to back up from the barrage.

Ethan finally grabbed a hold of the platypus in a headlock as Perry did the same to him. They struggled, trying to gain power over the other when Ethan felt a sharp pain sear through his skull as Perry rammed them into the brick wall. Anything to do damage. Anything to finally be rid of the rat. Perry was even willing to risk hurting himself if such was the case. Again, Ethan felt his skull bruise as he and Perry went head-to-head with the walls before having the air shoved out of him as he was forcibly shoved to the floor. Now Perry's hands on his throat, all in an attempt to suffocate him as Ethan returned it equally. It wasn't until the ermine reached to Perry's wrists, his claws sinking into Perry's flesh, as the platypus cried in pain did the the hold ease up and Ethan was able to push his way back up. He threw the platypus aside with a heave and Perry toppled across the ground. He ducked, just in time as Ethan rocketed from his spot to him for the ermine to grasp a hold of his fur, causing the platypus to scream and cry out in bloody pain as Ethan's teeth sank into his tail, crushing the spinal cord that rested in it.

Phineas had had enough of being held back by Candace and finally managed to wriggle his hands free. With a shout, he ran into the fray, shoving Ethan off of Perry and drew out his knife again. Ethan caught himself as he was sent to the floor and stood back up, his eyes focused on Phineas as the bright red blood dripped from him. Phineas shuddered at the sight, but he was firm in his ground. He wasn't going to let Perry keep getting hurt for him.

Ethan crouched down on all fours, ready to strike as Phineas tightened his grip. But as the weasel lunged at him, he was suddenly pulled back by his tail and thrown back across the floor, slamming into the wall. Ethan hit the wall with a grunt as Perry stumbled a bit, groaning from the pain of using so much force.

Despite fighting against three men and a dog, Marshall was holding his own in most of the fight. But Carl had quickly backed out as he began to bleed and Pinky was kicked, thrown across the room and slammed into a tower of crates that fell over top of him. But having fought Perry on a daily basis and being the head of his organization, Doofenshmirtz and Monogram were the real challenge the major faced as they fought. Wrestling to keep the major down and keeping themselves from getting to hurt, proved to be difficult indeed. Though once or twice they managed to land their own hits. Monogram kicked Marshall in the stomach.

"Look out!", Phineas cried out.

"It's about to fire!", Carl shouted.

***ZAP!***

* * *

_Laura: ..You know, that inator could still hit Perry. =3  
_

_Amber: Lol! XDD_


	22. Chapter 20

With the inator unattended by Michelle as she catered to Pinky and Penny's health, the beam fired right on time and its victim laid unconscious on the floor.

_"MAJOR MARSHALL!"_, Ethan called out in despair.

But before the ermine had a chance to run to his major's side, he was already being restrained by Pinky.

"Major Marshall, wake up!", Ethan continued to cry, feebly struggling against the dog. "You have to wake up, Sir! Wake up!"

Doofenshmirtz, Michelle, Monogram, and Carl came over to the sleeping body, finding it well as the affects of the inator took place in him.

"...How long was that thing sat for again?", Heinz asked, looking back at it momentarily.

"Five years.", Monogram said. "It was programmed to erase everything in his memories that were linked to Perry."

"En oubliant, il a oubli toute la raison de la cr ation de la BACON.", Michelle explained.

"She said, 'he forgot the whole reason for the creation of the B.A.C.O.N.'", Carl translated. "All this organization was built on was to get Perry."

"Alright, that's freakishly obsessive.", Doof commented on, slightly uncomfortable now. "I had no idea I was the nemesis of such a GREAT agent."

"Well Perry IS the best of our organization. But the funny thing is, we didn't exactly think that he would be.", Monogram noted, scratching the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "We already failed when we had Peter, we were afraid the results would be similar. We actually had no clue how fast Perry would develop, especially considering that platypuses are already sat back in development when they're born."

"So how long will he be out?", Carl asked Doofenshmirtz.

"Why are you looking at ME?", Doof asked, feeling put on the spot.

"Well it's YOUR machine!", the intern retorted.

"I never built that thing! Someone else must've."

"Oh for crying out loud, he doesn't remember, Carl.", Monogram said shaking his head in annoyance.

"Sorry. I would figure he'd remember when he saw it work.", Carl shrugged.

"Well if I DID build an amnesia-inator, which I didn't despite what you may say..", Doof began. "I would probably make it so that the body would stay unconscious for...well for someone THAT big and his recovery time? ...I guess maybe a few hours."

Marshall began to stir, the voices already penetrating the slumber he was placed in.

"...Of course I can always be wrong.", Doof said quickly as he feared Marshall's memory to come back just as fast.

Michelle hurried away as the man came to. He blinked slowly, his eyes readjusting to the lights around him until they focused on the three figures above him.

"Wh...where am I?", he asked, groaning a bit from the fuzzy pain in the back of his head.

The men looked at each other curiously and Doofenshmirtz quickly responded, "In the hospital!"

Monogram and Carl partially glowered at Doof for such a ridiculous lie, but Marshall seemed to buy it, looking at the white coats Heinz and Carl wore.

"Am I? ...Why?", he asked.

"Cause...", Doof stammered a bit, searching for an idea.

"You passed out in the snow.", Carl quickly said. "And you were in a coma for the last five years."

Now it was Monogram and Doof's turn to look at him in confusion, but it was working.

"Oh.. Really?", Marshall asked in slight shock.

"Oh yeah! But you're better now and you can go back home.", Carl said, reaching out a helping hand.

Marshall took the hand and stood back up, wobbling a bit to get his balance. He looked around to find mindless animals, curled up together and being loved on by a small boy and a young woman on one side of the room and a group of kids sitting together on the crates, watching him silently.

"...What's with the animals?", he asked, looking back at Phineas and Michelle who hid the wounds from the major's attention and kept Ethan's mouth shut.

"Animal therapy.", Doof said brightly. "It really helps cheer up the patients."

Marshall nodded slowly but then turned to Monogram.

"So... Why was I on the floor?"

"You... Passed out.", Monogram said bluntly, clearly unable to keep a lie.

"Cause you were so excited about leaving!", Carl covered over with a smile as Doofenshmirtz face-palmed himself for Monogram's stupidity.

"I did? ...I guess that would be the case.", Marshall nodded.

"Alright, well now that you're better, you should probably get home, eh?", Doof suggested as he and Monogram began to lead the man out the door.

"Right right! We wouldn't want the missus to get worried now would we?", Monogram went on.

"Exactly! We promised her you would get home soon.", Doof continued to say, keeping Marshall from answering.

"And we wouldn't want her to get worried if you're a day late.", Monogram went on.

"So it's nice to have met you, drive safe, be careful and all that."

Marshall was lead out the door and it closed tightly behind him. After a moment's pondering, thinking over what they said, he gave a smile and a nod and headed back home.

"Should probably get going.", he said to himself. "What a nice group of people."

Inside the base, Ethan finally managed to shove Michelle's off hands from his snout and ran to the door.

"_NO!_ NO NO NO! MARSHALL!", he called out, banging on the door and jumping up as he tried to reach the doorknob. "Major Marshall! Major Marshall come back!"

Tears began to spill down Ethan's face, fast and strong as the agent broke down. He dropped to his knees in defeat as sobs escaped him and red blood mixed with the salty tears on his fur.

"Come back! Please.. Come back..!", he sobbed.

Surprised by this action, Pinky came over, curious if the all and powerful ermine was ACTUALLY depressed.

_"'...Ethan?'"_, Pinky began softly, earning a head shake in response.

"He's supposed to complete me...", Ethan whimpered.

The whole scene looked pitiful and Pinky only shook his head.

_"'No. I doubt he would've.'"_, the dog replied.

"Yes he would've! He promised!", Ethan argued, shaking his head more in denial. "He promised he'd complete me!"

Now Pinky understood it. That was why Ethan was always challenging Perry. He did like to be on top. A LOT. He had such an ego, built up on such a fragile surface of Marshall's fake promise to genetically "complete" him, that once Marshall forgot everything, even who Ethan was, that was that. Everything was destroyed in the ermine's world.

_"'Hey now..'"_, Pinky said, sitting down next to him, hoping to be reassuring. _"'We're all fine, just the way we're made.. Look at Peter. Everyone says he's overweight, but he, in fact, is PERFECT in weight for a panda.'"_

"I don't need your pity.", Ethan scoffed, turning away and curling up tightly in fake anger.

Pinky scowled at the ermine and Ethan soon found a new set of scratches across his face from the nails as Pinky slapped him.

_"'I DON'T NEED TO BE TAKING THAT ATTITUDE FROM YOU! I'VE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH OF IT FROM PERRY AND PETER, YOU FREAK!'"_, Pinky barked down at him, causing the broken animal to cringe in fear. _"'NOW YOU LISTEN UP AND YOU LISTEN GOOD! YOU'RE FINE AS YOU ARE! If you weren't such an arse to everyone else, people might actually LIKE you, despite your freak-genes! YOUR DNA DOESN'T ENTIRELY MAKE WHO YOU ARE! YOUR PERSONALITY AND ATTITUDE DOES and right now? Your attitude smells so bad, I'M not gonna be able to stand near YOU for long, it offends me that badly!'"_

With that, leaving the ermine completely speechless, the dog spun on his heels and began to march away. Firm in his decision and checking to see if Isabella was alright, considering the bandages on her face.

The young girl also ran to her dog, soon scooping her up in her arms. Pinky nuzzled more into his owner, happy for the warmth she provided and tail-wagging in her concern for him. How much he missed to be loved.

"Are you alright? Were you out there in that cold snow? You should've bundled up more, Pinky! I'm so happy you're okay.", she was saying in a flurry of other things as she held her small dog close.

Phineas came to Perry's aid and Michelle dashed out of the room, speaking in French, and soon walking with Carl as they hurried along.

"Perry..", Phineas began, unsure of where to begin or what to say.

"I'm sorry.", Perry simply admitted. "I'm sorry I kept everything a secret from you for so long and that I made you think I was dead. It's not that I don't trust you! I-I..."

Before Perry knew it, he was swept up gently into Phineas' arms as he, Ferb, and Candace all embraced their beloved platypus.

"Perry, it's alright.", Phineas said reassuringly. "We understand and we're just happy you're alive."

Perry chuckled a bit, smiling and hugging more into his family as well.

"I'm glad you guys are okay too.", he replied. "I was really afraid you might've died at some point."

"You kidding? Perry if Phineas and Ferb can build dangerous stuff in a day and survive, what made you think they weren't gonna survive this time?"

They all chuckled a bit and Doofenshmirtz soon came over with Penny in his arms.

"Hey, Perry the Platypus."

"Doofenshmirtz.", Perry nodded politely. "I suppose I should thank you for helping take care of my family."

"Hey, it's the least I can do.", he shrugged. "Besides, ruling the Tri-State Area...is admittedly more boring than fighting my nemesis on a daily basis."

"Really?", Perry asked with a smirk.

"Yup. I hate you SO much, I'm actually BORED when you're not around.", Doofenshmirtz chuckled. "By the way, I just gotta ask, how is it that you've learned to talk? And why didn't you ever at least tell ME about this? I understand why not your family but... Enlighten me."

"Cause I'm genetically engineered. Kinda like Ethan. I learned how to, but I was raised in an organization where all the other animals would've hated to see me speak.", Perry explained before chuckling. "And you thought YOU had emotional scars?"

Doof chuckled in embarrassment before noticing Candace's glance.

"...Well I guess I shouldn't blame you...", he said, casting his gaze at the ground. "It's not like I've told YOU everything in my life."

"Yeah, like those toys I broke when I was at your place?", Perry asked. "What's up with the attitude if you don't mind me asking?"

For once, Heinz was silent. He wasn't sure what to say, or how to say it, or if he even wanted to say it in front of Phineas now that their memories weren't doomed to be erased. He gave a small sigh and shrugged.

"Well...", Heinz started slowly. "Um.. Wait, how'd you even get here?"

"Norm.", Perry replied. "We found him out in the snow and Pinky charged him up. It's how we knew you guys were here. He explained everything to us."

"Oh good! I'm glad to hear Norm's alright. But that aside, the toys.. Well I lied. The toys weren't Vanessa's.", Heinz explained, giving an obvious side-ways glance at Candace. Perry caught the notion and nodded. "But.. they were pretty special to me. It's a more personal back story, I'll tell you in full detail some other time."

"Well I'm gonna hold you to that.", Perry stated before turning his attention to the softly chuckling platypus in the man's arms. _"'Penny, are you alright?'"_

_"'In pain, but I'll be fine.'"_, she said bluntly, earning a chuckle from her boyfriend.

Perry nuzzled the side of her face a moment when Phineas turned to Doof and ask.

"Oh! So what was it you were trying to tell me?", Phineas asked.

Again, silent. And with Candace's watchful eye, Heinz felt very put on the spot but still easily enough, conjured a lie.

"I-I was just wanting to say that um.. That I..wanna thank you!", he covered over, earning an eyebrow raise from the boy. "Thanks cause... Well cause I don't really have a lot of people who're still nice to me, especially after I did something wrong. So.. Thank you, Phineas Flynn. Thanks for being a real friend to me."

Phineas smiled happily and gave a nod.

"Well sure I'm nice to you! We're best friends!"

Heinz chuckled a bit.

"Well I dunno about best friends..", he started to say.

"Heinz, trust me.", Perry chuckled. "ANYONE who comes into contact with Phineas, is his best friend."

The group laughed a bit before the doors opened and a bandaged, crutches-leaning, stumbling, Peter the Panda, came in, still sore from his last encounter with Ethan.

"Michelle said someone needed to get to the infirmary?", he said as he came in.

"Peter the Panda?!", Heinz gasped. "What-?!"

"Ethan. Hey, Doofenshmirtz. Yes, I can talk like Perry can.", Peter said.

Perry made his way over, Peter surprised at how torn up the platypus was.

"Glad you're here. Help me out and get me there before I pass out from blood-loss?", Perry asked, leaning on the panda with an outstretched hand a bit.

"For crying out loud, HERE!", Peter said, handing him one of his crutches. "You leave for two days, leave ME to deal with the nutcase of a weasel and save YOUR beaver tail, come back, and get the sh-"

"Peter, if it's all the same could we save the sentimentality for AFTER I'm taken care of?", Perry asked.

"There's a perfectly good, logical, explanation for why I hate you..."

Perry chuckled and gladly took the crutch as he and Peter made their way back through the base. As Peter spoke, Michelle made her way back into the room, taking Penny with her and soon leaving once again.

Perry and Peter limped their way down the hall as the intern rushed by them to get Penny to the infirmary and Perry looked over curiously as soon as they were out of ear-shot of the rest.

_"'Now what were you saying about dealing with Ethan?'",_ he asked.

_"'When you left the gym, I slumped back to my cubicle and had another of my episodes, I'm sure you can guess. Perry, understand, I don't hate you anymore. I had a pathetic reason to hate you, blinded by my own stupidity. I was coming to your cubicle after I cleaned up my mess, to apologize and explain myself, when I overheard what you were planning. I kept back as you guys ran down the other way and decided to keep my mouth shut. After you guys left the base, I had to cover your tracks before Ethan came out to look for you. Boy he and Marshall were in a frenzy. They pegged me, thinking that I might've known something about where you were going. I did, but I didn't say. Ethan gave me a real thrashing for not speaking. If Major Monogram didn't tell them to stop when he did, I'd probably have been dead by now.'"_

_"'...Why did you do that? For me of all agents?'"_, Perry asked.

Peter shrugged and replied, _"'Cause I don't hate you. The only reason why I did give you grief was cause I was jealous that you were better than me and when you did right, you were praised while I was only given grief. I took out all my own personal frustrations on you by telling myself you were stuck-up and nothing of a real good agent when I was really supposed to be aiming that at myself. ...And I'm sorry for doing that to you, all these years. Scaring you into thinking you wouldn't survive as a real agent when you were little. Fighting Doofenshmirtz when I knew that he was your nemesis. Sorry about it all.'"_

Perry smiled a bit and nudged him.

_"'Hey, friends can mess with each other.'"_, he said.

Peter smiled back and they knew, their rivalry was over.

Where the others were, Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet soon joined Ferb, Candace, Phineas, Doof, and Monogram and attention was turned to Pinky curiously after Michelle had ran Penny out and Peter and Perry had left.

"...Can he talk too?", Baljeet asked.

"...CHEESE!", Pinky said with small pride, earning a round of laughs.

"So, Monogram, what's the deal?", Doof asked as he and the major stepped away from the group. "You're not... You won't really erase their memories, right?"

"Well...", Monogram said uneasily. "They DO know Perry's a secret agent..."

"Aw, come on, Francis.", Doof begged, turning around to stand in front of the man. "This ONE time. For the kids' sake. Look, I didn't do evil. I was HELPING them, HELPING _YOU_. If nothing else, just don't let them lose their memory of Perry."

"Well I was gonna say just this past week but..", Monogram said, still deciding in his mind. "...Aw... Aw shoot, I've already had a heck of a week... I don't care. We're heading back to the states. That is, of course, if you're going to lift the ban on the O.W.C.A.."

"I was already planning on giving back the entire Tri-State Area.", Doof chuckled.

"Really?", Monogram asked with a small smile.

"Yeah. One thing I learned from it all, it's gets pretty boring. With me in charge of the Tri-State Area, where's the action? Where's the adventure with you or my nemesis? If I was in charge of the Tri-State Area, the most of our bickering would just be because our kids are dating each other and even then, it's not like we still have much of a reason to hate each other.", Heinz shrugged.

"Well there is Africa.", Monogram shrugged a bit. "One reason to hate you."

"Oh yeah.."

"Speaking of..", Francis began before smacking the other upside the head. "THAT'S for Africa!"

"OWW! Geez! Okay!", Heinz whined while he rubbed his head. "You sound like SUCH a girl!"

The only thing left for them to do was to repair Norm who Pinky said, through a series of notes scribbled on a notepad, was waiting outside. But as Doofenshmirtz started to head out with Carl, Michelle, and Phineas' gang, he was held back by Candace.

Though the teenager was quiet as everyone else headed out, it was obvious what she was thinking. They were both stuck with the thought. Once they go back to Danville, everything will resume exactly the way it always has been, and Phineas will be none the wiser. Heinz sighed a bit, seeing his daughter's crestfallen face as she kept her eyes to the floor.

"...Soon.", he promised. "Very soon."

Candace snorted, trying to mask over the tears forming in her eyes as she said, "When Phineas is twenty?"

"Not if I can help it.", Doof said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "But I promise you, I'll tell him very, very soon."

Candace couldn't help but be reminded of when she was little. How her dad promised to come back home, the last time she saw him. How long she waited for him to come back home and threw a fuss when Lawrence was introduced as her "new dad". She didn't want to go through that again. A tear slipped by her before Heinz pulled her close, shushing her gently and stroking her hair as the loving father he is.

"...You know I'm meaning it.", he said, earning a nod. "Very soon, I'll tell Phineas. And if I don't, you have my permission to tell him the truth. ...Deal?"

Candace looked up at her dad and gave a weak smile as she nodded again.

"Deal."

With a promise made, the two agreed to head out and help on Norm. This, of course, surprised Phineas and Ferb some, seeing Candace being able to keep up and help out with Norm.

"Hey, Candace. I thought you hated inventing?", Phineas commented.

"Phineas, please. You don't think you're the ONLY genius in the family, right?", Candace chuckled, before noticing and smiling more at the proud smile forming on Doof's face.

With Bacon's advanced technology and Ferb rigging a cybertronic squirrel to run in Norm's treadmill, it was only the late afternoon before Perry and Penny were released from the hospital and Norm was finished being repaired. Perry, Penny, and Pinky were allowed to ride with the kids back to the states as Monogram and Carl stayed behind to clean things up and mobilize the agents back to the states.

The group climbed into Norm's car and drove out of the area. Suddenly there was a loud whooshing sound and Heinz looked out his window to notice Norm's wheels turning into jets and causing the car to fly off.

"WHAT THE?!", he exclaimed as the kids cried in excitement in delight. "When did THAT happen?!"

"Hmm. Interesting new feature.", Candace said calmly, also looking out her window.

Doof looked back at her and seeing the smile on her face as she looked back at him made him understand how she could be so calm about it. Doofenshmirtz felt his heart swell with pride from his little rocket scientist and happily drove on. But there was one question still tugging at Phineas.

"Hey, Dr. D.?", Phineas started to say. "When we get back to Danville... I mean.. Well for as much trouble as what was going on cause we knew Perry was a secret agent... Will we ever.. Will we ever see you again?"

Heinz smiled a bit, happy to know that Phineas was worried about the decision. It was a sure sign he was at least liked, if not wanted to see more of, by Phineas. He and Perry exchanged glances in the rear-view mirror and Heinz sighed a bit.

"Soon.", he said. "I promise you, Phineas. You will see me again, very soon."

Phineas seemed happier with it, though Perry was curious, and the young inventor settled more into his seat. While the kids finally took a well deserved rest on the soft seats, Perry, sitting on his owner's lap, couldn't help but notice Phineas dozing off as he snuggled close to Isabella. Pinky was also asleep, and looking at the seat behind him, Penny was the only one who wasn't as she watched out the window. Perry started to get off of Phineas' lap when the boy stirred, acknowledging his platypus' leave.

"Didn't wanna disturb you.", Perry said quietly.

"You alright?", Phineas checked, earning a nod.

"Just thought I'd...", Perry started before nodding to the seat behind them. "You know..."

Phineas glanced back, seeing Penny and smiled back at Perry with a nod. Perry got onto the floor and walked back to Penny. He jumped on the seat, wincing at the pain in his tail, and soon settled himself onto the seat beside her. Penny took notice and smiled as he sat nearby.

_"'Hey.'"_, Penny began.

_"'You alright?'"_, he asked.

_"'Just fine.'"_, she replied.

She smiled and purred as Perry nuzzled his snout against hers. The fuzzy, warm tingle in her snout going on strongly again, making her squirm and giggle as Perry kissed her cheek.

_"'Well now that's something I don't hear a lot.'"_, Perry teased as he kissed her again, making her try to scoot away but fail as her leg was still stuck in a cast. _"'Think I wanna hear more of that.'"_

_"'Perry! Don't-!'"_, Penny giggled as Perry got more on top of her, pinning her underneath him and making her squeal and giggle.

With the purring noises coming from behind them, Phineas couldn't help but blush and Isabella stirred a bit as she woke up. She looked behind her and noticed the platypus-love-fest, but then smiled back at Phineas with a small chuckle.

"August came early?", she asked.

"Must've.", Phineas snickered. "Awkward.."

The sat for a moment in silence before Phineas hugged her.

"Thanks for not giving up on me, by the way.", he said. "In the cave."

Isabella chuckled and kissed him on the forehead, surprising the boy some.

"Thanks for helping me get Pinky back.", she replied.

Phineas paused for a moment before smiling, blushing a bit more and kissing her on the nose, making her blush.

"Thanks for always making me smile.", he said.

Isabella couldn't help but smile widely at the affection, suppressing the urge to scream. She kissed him on the cheek in return.

"Thanks for always letting me join you on the adventures and the fun.", she said.

"...Thank you... Thank you for always giving me a reason to do what I do, all Summer long.", he said quietly before cupping her cheeks and kissing her.

As Isabella's heart began to pound wildly in her chest, the heat radiating off her cheeks, warming Phineas', a loud, high-pitched, momentarily-muffled scream couldn't be held back any further. When they parted and Isabella's scream took on maximum volume, it easily surprised Heinz and Candace as they looked back in fear and Pinky jumped up in fright.

"Is everything alright?!", Candace asked.

But Candace and Doof soon began to laugh and snigger as Isabella hugged Phineas tightly, planting sweet and swift kisses all over him as the boy blushed and giggled underneath. Others took note and quietly snickered to themselves, except for Ferb.

"...Snoggers.", he snorted before looking back out the window once again.

* * *

_Laura: Now THAT'S what they shoulda done in the Second dimension! Not this, "OH we're about to have our memories erased, so let's get all the kissing out of the way NOW and have our memories erased in the next second!"_

_Amber: Remember that joke in "Sequels"? "In times of crisis, what's the first thing you wanna get out of the way before your memory's wiped or you're going to be under the control of the cutest thing ever? Make-out." XDD_

_Laura: LOL! XD Well anyways, hope you phinbella fans enjoyed yourselves! ^^ There's just one last chapter yet to go._

_Amber: Cuteness! X3_

_Laura: SHH! Don't give it away! X33_


	23. Chapter 21

Weeks had passed since the adventure. The Summer was nearing its end. Trees changed colors and the weather became more cool. It was another day near the end of August as Phineas and Ferb raced down stairs, ready for another contraption.

"Hey, Perry, Penny, Alison, and Vincent!", Phineas greeted as the platypus family came strolling into the room.

Linda and Lawrence had agreed to Phineas and Ferb keeping the platypuses that they "found to replace Perry", Perry and Penny. Alison and Vincent, were the inevitable children.

The family gave their chirping response and waddled their way into the backyard as Phineas and Ferb raced ahead of them.

"Alright, Ferb! What are we gonna do today?", Phineas asked as he turned to face his brother. "Melt the ice on Pluto? Make ourselves be able to walk on walls and the ceiling? Ooh! What if we-"

"Hey, Phineas.", Isabella said as she skipped into the backyard, her scab of the scratch in their earlier adventure having recently been healed leaving only a pink mark, and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Hey, Isabella.", Phineas greeted, smiling a bit more as he was kissed.

"So, whatcha doing?", she asked.

"Well I was just about to suggest to Ferb that we-"

"Phineas, Ferb, what are you guys doing out here?", Candace said, stomping her way into the backyard.

As the time had passed, she still attempted in trying to bust her brothers. Though she was a little less enthusiastic about it as before.

"We're still not sure yet. I was just about to suggest that we- hey wait a minute...", Phineas stopped, looking around. He couldn't help but chuckle a bit as he smiled at the others. They already knew what he was thinking but he said it anyway. "Where's Perry?"

"You know what I've noticed?", Isabella mentioned. "We haven't seen Dr. Doofenshmirtz in quite a while."

"Mm.. That's true.", Phineas agreed. "It's been, what? Two months?"

"...Three in a few days.", Candace noted, her demeanor suddenly changing to something depressing.

"Everything alright, Candace?", Phineas asked.

"I'm fine.", Candace lied.

She started walking inside, and Phineas looked back at his girlfriend and brother. Clearly, he was worried for her and Isabella and Ferb gave their nods of agreement. Something was obviously wrong.

"I'm gonna go check on her.", Phineas decided. "That cool?"

"Course Phineas.", Isabella shrugged. "Ferb, Buford, Baljeet, and I will stay here and plan out the day for after you're done."

"Thanks guys."

Phineas went inside where he found Candace heading upstairs. Following after, he soon found his sister up in her room. Candace was curled up on her bed, back to the door.

_"What's wrong, Candy?"_, Phineas' young, toddler voice said.

Candace quickly turned around, surprised to hear it and was reminded of what year it was as she saw ten year-old Phineas stand there.

"What?", she asked, tears staining her face.

"What's up?", Phineas repeated.

"...nothing.", Candace shook her head, laying back on the bed and holding her Ducky Momo doll closer. "...Nothing at all."

"...Anything I can do for you?", Phineas pressed on, stepping more into the room.

Candace turned away from him, curling up tighter. Phineas sat on the bed behind her, still concerned.

"No.", she replied firmly.

Though Phineas wasn't buying it, he silently agreed to stop pressing the matter. He lovingly kissed her on the head before sliding off the bed and heading to the bedroom door. But between him asking how she was and walking to the door, Candace's mind was racing with thoughts. How much it hurt her to have not heard anything from her dad in these two months. How much she feared it would be a repeat of her childhood. What was worse was the uncanny likeliness between Phineas and Doofenshmirtz. She remembered her dad's promise to her. If he didn't tell Phineas soon, she was allowed to. Soon. It's been far too long! But...the more she thought about it, the more she figured. Did SHE have to tell Phineas? Or could she bring Phineas to HIM? And if he didn't say it right there and then, she could. Piece of cake. By the time Phineas reached his hand to the door knob, Candace already sat up in bed.

"A-actually...Phineas?", she began, causing her brother to pause and look back. "You're willing to do something for me?"

"Anything, Candace.", Phineas smiled, letting go of the knob and turning to face her.

"...Alright.. Yeah, there's something you can do for me.", Candace began as she wiped up her tears.

Phineas came back over and sat on the bed with her.

"What's up?"

"You think you can track down Dr. Doofenshmirtz like you did Perry?", Candace asked.

"Well.. I don't think we can track him genetically. The clothes have been through the wash so we've lost his DNA.", Phineas noted. "But Heinz is more known than Perry, so he might turn up on a computer. I don't see why not!"

Candace smiled, eyes shining with hope. But before the kids had a chance to get off the bed and near the door, Linda was already coming in, seeming to be relieved to find them together.

"Oh, there you guys are.", she said, stepping in a bit more. "Candace, Phineas, I want you to put on a fresh change of clothes, brush your hair, brush your teeth, and get in the car. There's something I wanna show you."

While Phineas was slightly confused and yet nodded in understanding, mentally Candace cursed her mother for the intrusion and was busy scowling across the room. She was THIS close to getting somewhere and Life had to, yet again, pull her away from it.

"Alright.", Phineas nodded. "I'll go tell Ferb and-"

"No, Phineas.", Linda shook her head. "Just you and Candace this time."

Phineas froze in mid-step on his way to the door. No Ferb? Now he and Candace were both confused though Candace still held onto her grudge.

"...Perry?", Phineas asked.

"No honey. Not Ferb, Isabella, Perry, Penny, Alison, or even Vincent.", Linda shook her head. "Just...you and Candace. You can let them know you're gonna be gone for today, but no. They can't come."

Phineas gave a nod in understanding and headed out. Linda watched him walk to his bedroom and looked back at the stern glower on Candace's face.

"...You'll thank me, I'm sure.", Linda simply said, her tone and expression changing to something more of reluctance or uneasiness.

Candace raised a curious eyebrow but her mother already left the room and she proceeded to do as told. When she came into the garage, Linda was busy brushing away at Phineas' hair in obvious disappointment of its constantly being unkempt.

"M-Mom, it's always like this.", Phineas said, wincing a bit as the brush scratched his ears.

Linda gave a short, frustrated sigh.

"How on earth did your hair ever get to being this bad? Or your face! I thought I told you to clean up.", Linda said before bending down and attempting to clean him with her spit.

"Mom...!", Phineas whined a bit like a little kid.

When Phineas was finished up and headed into the car, it was Candace's turn and she ended up throwing a bigger fit than Phineas.

"Will you stop moving your head, Candace?", Linda fussed.

"Stop pulling so hard!", Candace argued. "Ow! OW! _Mom!_"

Linda groaned throughout the process and eventually pulled out a small, red, scrunchy and pulled the teenager's hair up into a ponytail. She turned Candace to face her so she could critique the thought to herself and then shook her head and pulled out the scrunchy and brushed some more.

"MOM!", Candace groaned as her hair was pulled on. "OW!"

When they were done and brought into the car, they drove off and Phineas turned to Linda.

"So, Mom? Can I ask a question?", Phineas asked.

"NO.", Linda said firmly as they drove.

This greatly surprised her children and they exchanged wildly confused glances. But the young inventor pressed no further comments and resided to staring out the window, allowing his mind to wander.

Phineas found himself in another odd, childhood-like memory. You know the kind. A nice, sunny day. A random car-drive with one parent and sibling; Linda and Candace. Often other memories such as this in his younger childhood resulted in him having to throw-up from chicken nuggets or something weird going on. He was enjoying the nice weather and ride, but he was still confused. Why wasn't Ferb there with him? Or a better question, why did Linda TELL Ferb not to come? Why JUST Candace and Phineas? Why did Linda seem so...tense? Taking a glance at his sister, Phineas could see she knew as much as he did. Nothing.

When the car came to a red light, Linda finally turned to her children, the worry was evident on her face.

"...Kids. Um.. You... Well I know YOU do, Candace, but Phineas, you do know that Dad isn't your... Your REAL dad, right?", Linda asked, earning a nod.

"Yeah. When Dad and Ferb joined our family, I finally got a brother and a dad.", Phineas said along with his nodding. "Just like Candace before our dad died."

"...Well honey.. I'm... I'm sorry that it's been so long for me to say this... But... Well I lied.", she said. "Your father...didn't die."

Phineas and Candace's eyes widened at the sound of it. The young boy could barely believe his ears. His dad was ALIVE?! It was almost as if he had come back from the dead!

"He's not dead. In fact... Recently I've... Well HE started to email me and we've...been back and forth.", Linda shrugged when the light turned green and she started to drive again. "And we agreed, if you two would like to, that you could visit him today."

Candace's smile grew more and more with each second while Phineas' mind had chronically stood still. He was still stuck on his dad being alive, let alone that they were ACTUALLY going to see him and that his mother had lied to him all these years! When time finally caught up to him, Phineas jerked his head with a lack of breath and turned to Candace who only smiled back at him and soon enclosed him in a tight hug. Too happy for words.

"Here we are.", Linda finally said.

Phineas looked out the window and his jaw dropped as he saw Dr. Doofenshmirtz wait outside a tall purple building.

_"DADDY!"_, Candace squealed, tapping her hands on the side of the car in excitement

When the car pulled up and came to a stop, Candace shoved the door open but was quickly held back by her seat belt, making Heinz chuckle a bit. After struggling with it, Candace finally got out of the car and leapt into the man's arms, crying into his shoulder.

"I thought you forgot!", she was saying. "O-O-Or didn't care! Or s-something!"

"Oh, Candace. Gosh no!", Heinz chuckled. "Never. I would never have forgotten my sunshine."

He pulled her back to smile at her, wiping a few tears from her eyes.

"I promised you.. Didn't I?", he said, earning a weak chuckle in response before Candace hugged him again.

"I missed you..", she said, muffled into his lab coat. "I missed you so much.."

"I missed you too..", he said soothingly as he hugged her.

He smiled back at Linda as she approached and then looked back at the car where Phineas still stood. Eyes wide, tears being held back as he stared.

'...Dad?', Phineas was thinking to himself. 'This... He's... Heinz Doofenshmirtz...is my dad?'

Doofenshmirtz could see the confusion and shock on Phineas' face. He smiled sympathetically and knelt down to his height, clearing his throat a bit.

"Hey... Phineas.", Heinz said gently. "My name is Heinz Doofenshmirtz and... I'm your dad. Although, of course, you don't have to CALL me 'dad'..."

Phineas didn't hear a word as the man rambled. He heard his voice yes, along with several others as their adventures into Canada swept over him.

_"His name is Heinz Doofenshmirtz. ...he's a really great guy."_

_"It's a real pleasure to meet you, Phineas. Candace..told me quite a bit about you."_

_"...why are you helping us?"_

_"Well cause I hate to see a broken family..."_

_"You had another family?"_

_"I wasn't allowed to stay with them anymore. It's a bit of a grown-up matter to exactly explain WHY that is but... Maybe it really was my fault... I don't know.. I haven't seen them in ten years... I still miss my kids.."_

_"Dr. Doofenshmirtz! You gotta stop being so negative! A phone call to sort all the issues between you out, a couple more to help settle things out and possibly get a chance for you to meet your kids again. It really isn't that hard!"_

_"What if your dad was a complete failure? What if he was nothing like what you imagined him to be?"_

_"Phineas, did you know that every day, you remind me of, Dad? You're so much like him. Because of how much you care about family. You always amaze me with how far you're willing to go, or how much you're willing to do for any one of us. ...nothing stops you from doing whatever it takes to keep us happy and together. Just like Dad."_

_"...Didn't you know you could've died?!"_

_"It's alright. As long as you guys are okay."_

_"Phineas, are you okay?"_

_"Hey, Dr. D.? ...Will we ever see you again?"_

_"Soon. I promise you, Phineas. You will see me again, very soon."_

_"Ugh, five more minutes, Candace..."_

_"Wh-? Doof, it's me. Phineas."_

_"Whatever... Five minutes, son."_

_"Candace, what's wrong?"_

_"Nothing... There never was anything wrong with me."_

_"Alright, alright! I'll say it! Phineas Flynn, there's something I need to tell you."_

_"I don't really have a lot of people who're still nice to me, especially after I did something wrong. Thank you, Phineas Flynn. Thanks for being a real friend to me."_

_"Well sure I'm nice to you! We're best friends!"_

_"Can people come back from the dead?"_

"...and you have a step-dad so I know THAT would be a little awkward..", Heinz continued to ramble as Phineas came back to the present. "So, if you want, you can just call me-"

Doofenshmirtz stopped suddenly as Phineas lunged into his arms, his arms wrapping around his neck tightly as he softly cried out into the man's lab coat.

"Thank you, Dad...", Phineas whispered quietly.

Heinz was silent and still for a moment before he slowly hugged Phineas back, gently at first, and then tighter as he whispered in return, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner.."

Phineas chuckled and the two backed up a bit and smiled at each other. It all made sense now. Why he and Candace always talked with each other, why he cared about their family, why he was willing to risk it all to keep THEM safe, and how he planned to take Phineas' advice when they were driving back home. He understood how Heinz feared the reaction, why Candace seemed so upset, there wasn't a single question that Phineas could think up without finding his answer. And the tears continued to pour, more and more. More than they ever had in a long, long, time.

"Wait, you're actually-?", Heinz chuckled, pulling up a handkerchief and wiping up his tears. "Phineas, it's alright! It's okay.. It'll be okay, son."

Phineas chuckled a bit, then cried a bit more as he tried to wipe up his own tears. He hugged the man again.

"I love you, Dad.", he said as he did so.

"I love you too, Phineas.", he replied, trying not to choke up himself.

Candace beamed happily and even Linda tried to hide her own smile, watching the adorable scene taking place. Heinz stood up with the small boy in his arms, reaching an arm over to Candace who joined into the group hug happily. After a last squeeze, Phineas and Candace looked back at Linda who's smile was gone now. Instead she was slightly ashamed.

"...I hope you guys aren't mad that I lied to you..", she said in guilt.

"I am.", Heinz commented.

"DAD!", Candace growled, though still smiling. "Don't ruin it!"

"Of course I'm not mad at you, Mom! This is the greatest surprise ever!", Phineas said happily.

"Me neither Mom.", Candace agreed, coming over and hugging her. "Thank you for telling us the truth."

"Thank Heinz. He's the one who started it.", Linda chuckled, hugging her back.

Phineas got down and came over to hug his mom too. When they parted, the kids stepped back with Heinz as Linda stepped forward to address a few last-minute prepares.

"Now, don't forget. Candace is allergic to parsnips, especially wild ones. She's lactose intolerant, but she can handle a grilled cheese sandwich. Phineas and Candace HAVE to take their medicine for their ADD after supper..."

"Mom...", Candace groaned, slightly embarrassed of her mental disorder being mentioned.

"I think we're okay, Linda.", Heinz noted, though ignored.

"Squash gives Phineas an upset stomach, especially zucchini..."

"Mom...!", Phineas blushed in embarrassment. "Not in public!"

"If Candace starts to say that Phineas is doing something like building robot monkeys to create star-cut rubies, don't worry about it. She's schizophrenic."

"LINDA.", Heinz interrupted, calmly but firm at the same time. "...I think we can handle things. If something's wrong, I'm sure the kids will let me know and I DO have your phone number if I need to be reassured of something or if something bad has happened. I'm 47, I think I can handle it."

Linda sighed a bit, obviously not wanting to see her kids go. But she hugged and kissed Candace on the cheek goodbye and crouched down to do the same with Phineas.

"Be good kids. Don't make anything explode, Heinz. I'm gonna pick you up tonight after dinner."

"Kay.", they said in unison.

"And Candace..."

"I'll restrain my urge to bust Phineas at all times and not wear you or Dad out.", Candace nodded.

"Actually I was going to say, feel free to call me if your brother AND father are doing something bustable, LIKE building robot monkeys.", Linda chuckled, earning a surprised look. "I know your dad, Candace. I remember buying appliances every day."

Candace and Phineas giggled.

"Ha ha ha ha! Linda!", Heinz began loudly and cheerfully before glaring at the woman and growling through his gritted teeth. "Don't you have A _HUSBAND_ to be with?"

Candace and Phineas laughed some more and Linda chuckled a bit, finally smiling at the man.

"Well, NOW I do.", Linda said in spite with a smirk on her face as Heinz fumed at the remark. "Alright, bye kids."

"Bye Mom!", they said, giving her one last hug and kiss good-bye.

Linda got back into her car, one last look at her children, their wide, happy smiles as they waved her good-bye, and finally drove off, hoping for the best for them. Heinz, Candace, and Phineas leaned further to get a better view as Linda's station wagon drove out of sight. Once gone, Heinz turned to Phineas.

"Wanna help me with my latest invention?", he asked excitedly. "For good purposes, of course."

"OF COURSE!", Phineas exclaimed in excitement, bouncing all the while.

The two began to run into the building when Candace stepped in front of them.

"Oh no you two don't! Mom said not to make anything explode!", she said warningly.

"We're not gonna make it explode.", Phineas replied with a smirk. "Just make a new invention."

"Aw, come on. My little rocket scientist?", Heinz urged, with a teasing smile and poke into Candace's shoulder.

Candace couldn't help but smile and give in.

"...Oh, alright!", she chuckled. "I GUESS we can do something."

"Whoo! Just like old times!", Heinz said happily.

"'Old times?'", Phineas asked curiously.

"Oh man! Candace, you still never told him? Lemme tell you something Phineas. Your sister was.. an absolute freaking genius. It scared me.", Heinz blathered on as they walked inside.

"Alright, Dad.", Candace chuckled weakly as Phineas giggled.

"And wouldn't you know it, that it was still that same genius little girl that insisted on sleeping with her Ducky Momo every night?", Heinz went on, making Phineas laugh harder.

"Dad!", Candace said agitatedly.

"No, way! Really?", Phineas was laughing.

"Oh if you think that's funny, wait till you hear about her shrine to Xavier-"

"Dad you are SO busted!", Candace snarled as her face turned red and her dad and brother began to run. "Get back here!"

Laughter, memories, and fun.. It was true what Phineas said. He would've given up every day of Summer Vacation for this.

**The End**

* * *

_Amber: There, Doof told Phin, Ferb, Isabella, and the agents got better, Robert ROCKS, peace has returned to the Tri-State Area, Candace and Linda finally made-up (though no one probably cares) EVERYTHING'S RESOLVED! HAPPY?! XD_

_Laura: I'M NOT HAPPY!_

_Amber: WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!_

_Laura: ...No one took our Author's Note chapter seriously. ),=_

_Amber: ...Yeah.. u_u_


End file.
